An Air Force Security Forces airman died on duty in the early morning hours of July 20, triggering a temporary suspension of the Sig Sauer M18 Modular Handgun System across Air Force Global Strike Command.
The active-duty airman, assigned to the 90th Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, has not yet been publicly identified, and Air Force officials have not released details surrounding the circumstances of the fatal incident.
However, a spokesperson for AFGSC confirmed the command immediately halted use of the M18 sidearm pending the outcome of multiple investigations.
“Air Force Global Strike Command has paused use of the M18 Modular Handgun System, effective July 21, 2025, until further notice,” said AFGSC spokesperson Charles Hoffman. “This decision was made following a tragic incident at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, on July 20, 2025, which resulted in the death of a Security Forces airman.”
The Sig Sauer M18 is the compact variant of the M17 and both are part of the company’s P320 series — a handgun platform that’s become the subject of widespread legal and safety scrutiny. The Air Force adopted the M18 in 2019, following the Army’s lead under the Modular Handgun System program, which awarded Sig Sauer the massive $580 million contract in 2017 to replace the aging Beretta M9.
The M18 is currently standard-issue across most U.S. military branches, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
But now, the P320 platform is under fire — again — following repeated reports of unintentional discharges across civilian law enforcement, federal agencies, and military units.
A 2024 FBI report, released through a Michigan State Police investigation, documented an incident where a holstered M18 discharged unexpectedly. While the report didn’t confirm a mechanical failure, it acknowledged that under certain conditions, “it may be possible” for the weapon to fire without a trigger pull.
In response to the incident at F.E. Warren, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, issued a directive (leaked online and later verified by the Air Force) ordering units to substitute the M4 carbine in place of the M18 until further notice.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the AFGSC Safety Office are both conducting a full investigation into the circumstances of the airman’s death. Meanwhile, all M18s assigned to Global Strike Command are undergoing 100% safety inspections.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations,” Hoffman said.
The handgun’s embattled reputation stretches back years. In 2023, New Hampshire Public Radio obtained nine military reports of unintentional discharges involving the M17 and M18, raising new questions about their safety in operational environments.
Despite these concerns, Sig Sauer has remained firm in its public denials, rejecting allegations that its pistols can fire without a trigger pull.
“The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull — that is a fact,” Sig stated in a March 2025 press release, blasting the growing number of lawsuits as attempts to “profit or avoid personal responsibility.”
Sig Sauer did not respond to a request for comment following the latest Air Force incident.
The P320 has been adopted by hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the U.S., but it’s also been the focus of multiple lawsuits from officers and civilians claiming the weapon discharged without warning. Videos posted online, court filings, and testing by independent evaluators have all highlighted concerns that external forces — such as holster pressure or slight impacts — may cause the weapon to fire under certain conditions.
As of now, there is no timeline for when, or if, the M18 will return to duty within Air Force Global Strike Command.
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