By the early 1980s the CAWS program had taken over from RHINO. The main goal of this program was to develop a new generation personal firearm, capable of firing high-impulse, multiple projectiles with effective range of 100–150 meters. Using multiple projectiles should increase the chances of hitting the target in combat. One of the teams entered in the CAWS race was Heckler & Koch Germany, coupled with Winchester Corp. United States. Heckler & Koch was responsible for developing a weapon, while Winchester was responsible for the development of new types of ammunition.