Considerations on the Evolution of War

[JASmith]

That's the same non-answer that Cory gave. I'll try rephrasing, again:

Without a development contract, what company can be convinced to design and develop -- on their own dime, as GDATP did with the .338 LWMMG -- the unique, ultra-lightweight machine gun that LRRPF52 and Michael desire?

Actually the answer is different and helps illuminate the normal development path.

"Doing it on their own dime" is the model imposed in the late 20th century to make R&D costs appear to be reduced. It was actually a path to eating one's seed corn.

Any company that has the resources and expectation of sales will make that investment if they are brave or stupid enough. They exist, but counting on this, perhaps serendipitous, path does not constitute sound national policy in my opinion.