>>724040005
Nah let's be real the FN SCAR was just a victim of circumstance
>create highly modular rifle in both 5.56 and 7.62
>tests well, US military begins small order
>HK416 comes out around same time, basically just gas piston AR, becomes widely praised and utilized in high profile operations like the bin Laden raid, and ready to go with how compatible it is with all the existing infrastructure to support the AR platform
>M4A1 continues to get support, e.g. SOPMOD, URG-I
>US decides to just only go forward with the SCAR-H because there's no reason to buy a bunch of rifles that aren't an AR for no perceived benefit
>some of the HK416 designers go to SIG-Sauer and develop the idea further into the MCX, which would later get its own embiggened version in the Spear/XM7
>France and Germany adopted the HK416
>British military replacing their bullpups with the SR-16 so notch another one for ARs
>Sako developing an AR clone to synergize with other NATO forces
>China replacing their QBZs with their HK416 copy

Assault rifle/carbine race was decided at the turn of the century, we just didn't know it yet.