MA7 ICWS Series

The MA7 ICWS Series is a small family of assault rifles manufactured by Misriah Armory, building off the successes and failures of the legendary MA5 ICWS Series and loathed MA6 Series.

Design
The MA7 is a return to the ICWS formula after the MA6 attempted to move away from it. As such, the gun retains smart-scoping features and the computer module from the MA5. The standard-issue version of the weapon also features a built-in under-barrel grenade and smart munitions launcher. This addition was brought on by the Human-Covenant War, which introduced the need to eliminate targets equipped with energy shielding on a regular basis, something traditional rifle ammunition was deemed insufficient for.

History
The creation of the MA7 ICWS Series was a multi-faceted affair. On Misriah's end, it was an attempt to correct the failures of the MA6 Series while building upon the successes of the MA5. On the part of the UNSC, resource and manufacturing capability shortages meant they would have to do more with less in order to remain as capable as they were early in the Human-Covenant War. As such, the UNSC tendered a next-generation ICWS contract and the MA7 was Misriah Armory's submission.

It was designed over three years and tested in-house for another two, with another two years of testing with the UNSC. It would finally undergo its first field tests during Operation: RUPTURED CRUCIBLE in 2560. The MA7 series would not be adopted on a large scale until around a decade later, and though slowly pushed to the margins, the MA5 series remained in regular use with the UNSC until the end of the century.

MA7A
The MA7A was the initial model of MA7 used in field tests from 2560 to 2562. The MA7A uses a special test 6.5x52mm Caseless rounds. These test rounds often created an excess buildup of propellant in the barrel causing cycling issues, excess heat, and a degradation in fire rate over time. These created a stigma of unreliability that would hurt later the overall image of the rifle. In some instances, potential test participants would outright refuse to use the rifle.

MA7B
The solution to the issues facing the MA7A was found in a new caseless ammunition designed with a reworked propellant, reworked internals. Reported reliability issues disappeared in the MA7B. However, the stigma from the MA7A hampered adoption efforts.