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In addition, while the SPC has a slightly lower muzzle velocity than the 5.56mm cartridge, its larger mass makes it ballistically similar to the lighter 5.56mm round (in terms of accuracy and bullet drop), and it delivers half again as much kinetic energy. In real terms, this means that the 6.8mm SPC has the same relative trajectory as the 5.56mm (which allows for the M468 to be fired and treated essentially like a 5.56mm M-16), but with 50% more stopping power, and a bullet speed of 2650 feet per second from a sixteen and one-half inch barrel, delivering 1715 foot-pounds of energy, with a six hundred meter effective range.
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I'm not saying this weapon is what should be the next main battle rifle for the US Army. All I'm saying is that I find it interesting--I like that it uses a larger round, and I find it quite interesting how they've made it so that it would be much easier to adapt to than a new rifle system.
I really don't think we're going to see a new rifle for another 10 years though. Every development program has been scrapped, and no one seems too hot to trot to replace the M16/M4.