Jean Pierre Housson

Infantry Area WeaponsOperational Criteria, Design Trends and Prospects

The Mk47 STRIKER is claimed to be "the first major advancement in crew-served weapon systems since the end of World War H",but it is being acquired in reiativeiy low numbers due to cost issues. The latest $12 million order was placed in February 2009.(Photo: General Dynamics)

The pivotal importance of theinfantry platoon and squad (the lat-ter normally corresponding to theaverage personnel-carrying capac-ity of standard APCs and AlFVs) asthe basic components of combatunits has been one of the key fac-tors to influence the evolution oftactical doctrines over the pastdecades, and this has been furtherexpanded in the currently predomi-nant scenarios of low- and medi-um-intensity conflicts. Accordingly,special consideration has been andis being devoted towards enhanc-ing the infantry platoon's andsquad's combat effectiveness interms of mobility, autonomy andfirepower.

Concemlng firepower, the need has longsince become evident for organic fire suppotiassets that would allow for the dismounted pla-toon or squad to react immediaîeîy to a threat,without having to depend solely on fire suppotibeing provided by accompanying AR/s or,worse, by upper echelons. Indeed, the avail-ability of organic fire support at platoon/squadlevel nowadays tends to be regarded as anabsolute requirement, in view of the extremelyhigh tempo of modern combat operations aswell as the proliferation of increasingly sophis-ticated and efficient surveillance, identificationand communication systems, all of which putsa premium on immediately concentrating fireonto targets as soon as they have been identi-fied.

Which Weapon{s)At Which Level?

At squad level, the above considerationshave led to a general consensus towards sup-

plementing individual weapons with one or twolight support weapons (LSW). these being nor-mally represented by a light machine gun(LMG) such as the ubiquitous FN Herstal MINI-MI/M239 SAW and/or a single-shot grenadelauncher (this could be either a stand-aloneweapon such as the H&K GP, or an under-bar-rel attachment like the well-known M203 or itsmore modern variants). At platoon and compa-ny level, organic fire support assets wouldinclude both direct-fire weapons (general pur-pose machine guns - GPMGs - heavy machineguns - HMGs - and automatic grenade launch-ers - AGLs) and indirect-fire systems (light orCommando-type mortars plus again AGLs).

In many conceivable tactical scenarios theenemy troops will be out of range of direct-fireweapons, and could thus only be engaged byindirect-fire systems with parabolic trajectories.Accordingly, it is a given that small-calibreautomatic weapons designed to engage pointtargets, and area weapons firing fragmentationammunition (light mortars and AGLs) must inte-

188 Military Technology • MILTECH 6/2010

grate with and complement each other. Thequestion, thus, is whether mortars or automat-ic grenade launchers are the best solution athand.

Light and Commando mortars, thanks to thecharacteristics of their 60mm ammunition arefar more effective than AGLs in delivering sup-pressive fire. On the other hand, however, theyhave a far lower rate of fire than even the poor-est performers amongst AGLs, they cannot befired from a vehicle while on the move, andapart from a few Commando models they canonly be used in the indirect fire mode. Further-more, unless one wishes to speculate aboutthe possible future introduction of 60mm termi-tially-guided mortar rounds, AGLs offer animportant and unique advantage in their sec-ondary capability for the engagement of APCsand AlFVs, whereby their capability tor rapidburst fire compensates for the inherent lowaccuracy and the difficulty of hitting a fast-moving target. A not insignificant shortcomingof AGLs, for which there unfortunately seems tobe no ready cure, is their cost. Quite a few bud-get-conscious armies do regard, or have noother choice than to regard, at least Westem-produced AGLs as being too expensive whencompared to more traditional fire supportweapons such as light/Commando mortarsand GPMGs/HMGs.

The more or less generally accepted practiseIS thus to deploy GPMGs and light/Commando[Tiortars with the fire support platoon of basicinfantry companies (this is most notably the

The Heckler &Koch GMG automaticgrenade launcherin service withthe British RoyalMarines.(Photo: UK MoD)

case with the US Marine Corps' infantry com-panies, equipped with the M240G 7.62mmGPMG and the M224 60mm light mortar), whileHMGs and AGLs are assigned to fire supportcompanies (e.g., the USMC Weapons Com-pany has a support platoon with six M2HB12.7mm HMGs and as many Mk19 40mmAGLs).

These traditional schemes as adopted by theUSMC and many other foreign armies are

increasingly being criticised by experts andusers alike, who maintain that AGLs shouldrather be distributed at infantry company level.These suggestions are being resisted, howev-er, on the grounds that GPMGs and light mor-tars as currently available already provide ade-quate volumes of fire, and indeed cover largerareas and at greater ranges than would be pos-sible with AGLs. This observation is correct, butit fails to appreciate that mortars are normally

FN Fire Control Unitfor Improved 40mm Grenade Efficiency

FN HERSTALTechnological Tradition

and Technical Innovation

Military Technology • MILTEOH • 6/2010 189

The ubiquitous Mk19 40mm AGL wasoriginally developed as a tripod-mountedweapon, but it is now much morefrequently seen mounted on vehicleswith either ring mounts or remote controlstations.(Photo: US Marine Corps)

not capable of direct fire, and furthermore areclose to useless in engaging multiple targets inbuilt-up areas and most particularly insidemulti-sforey buildings.

Be this as it may, it would certainty be erro-neous to expect that an infantry squad that isalready equipped with an LMG could maintainadequate foot mobility across difficult terrain ifburdened with another dedicated fire supportweapon(s). Very much the same applies to aplatoon with its GPMG and light/Commandomortar, while the debate is still wide open in thecase of the basic infantry company. In fact, itoften happens that an infantry company has noorganic weapons to deliver indirect fire supportto its platoons, while the platoons themselvesare in exactly the same predicament vIs-à-vis

The Russian AGS-30 is a much improvedversion of the original AGS-17 PLAMYA

30mm automatic grenade launcher.The latter was the world's first AGL to be

produced in large quantities.

their respective squads - with the result thatthe latter can only count on direct-fire weaponswith the sole exception of their own single-shotgrenade launchers, which are not able toengage targets in a defilade at ranges exceed-ing 300-400m. The very first indirect-fireweapons that a squad can call upon are thus atcompany level, i.e. the support platoon's lightmortars.

It is further to be noted in this regard thatuntil a few years ago the platoon was progres-sively losing importance in many armies, beingreduced to little more than a link between thecompany and the squads - and thus, amongst

As USMC 60mm mortar team in action.(Photo: USMC)

other aspects, being deprived of its own organ-ic fire support assets. In such cases, the firstindirect-fire weapons to support the squadswould be at weapons company level, beingnormally represented by medium 81mm mor-tars - a solution which however is totally atodds with the enhanced tactical flexibility thatis imperatively demanded by today's opera-tional doctrines for small infantry units.

In theory, a virtually endless list of differentsolutions could be suggested. In general terms,however, it would certainly appear advanta-geous to deploy fire support weapons, whatev-er their type, as close as possible to the first-line infantry squads and platoons.

These considerations help explain whylight/Commando mortars have enjoyed a sig-nificant comeback in recent years, and are nowagain very much in fashion in modem armies.This applies not only to land forces in Africa,Asia or Latin America, whose predominantoperating conditions make these weapons vir-tually irreplaceable, but indeed even to manyWestern armies - Finland, France, Italy, Portu-gal, Spain, the UK and the US to name but afew - that have always maintained light/ Com-mando mortars in their respective arsenals, orare now hastily taking them out of the depots.

Are Light Mortars Still Useful?The past two decades have witnessed the

emergence of an increasingly wide distinctionbetween "classical" light mortars on the onehand, and the simplified Commando models onthe other. This difference does not involve thecalibre; all "classic" designs are 60mm wea-pons, and the same applies to the majority ofthe Commando types that also fire the sameammunition (the only notable exceptions arethe Israeli IMI COMMANDO 52mm, the Rhein-metall (ex-Titanite, ex-PRB) FLY-K - also52mm but firing completely different ammuni-tion - and the BAE Systems L9A1 51mm).Rather, the differences between the two cate-gories of light mortars involve their respectivecharacteristics and perfomnance in terms ofweight, size and range.

"Classic" designs normally have barrels witha length of between 650mm-1000m, are fittedwith a bipod, weigh some 12-22kg and offer a

190 Military Technology • MILTECH • 6/2010

range of at least 2000m (up to 3500-4000m forsome models), while their Commando counter-parts have 500mm-650mm barrels with a sim-ple baseplate, weigh around 4.5-10kg and donot exceed a range of some 1000m (the not-able exception in this regard is the SouthAfrican M4 range which attains 2000m).

The current generation of "classic" 60mmlight mortars is certainly able to offer enhancedoperational flexibility to the small infantry unitsintended for operations in a wide variety of dif-ferent theatres, providing adequate capabilitiesfor indirect support andarea saturation fire. Onthe other hand, it isundeniable that today'sweapons have not ben-efitted from any reallysignificant evolutionover their predecessorsoí half a century ago.Some improvementshave been introduced(such as recoil ab-sorbers inside the bipodlegs, high-resistancelight alloy barrels toreduce weight, or ex-pansion guide rings toeliminate the bomb'smovements inside thebarrel), but these canhardly be regarded asrevolutionary. There

may still be some scope for further advancesas regards the sights (e.g. telescopic sights,optronic devices, illuminated reticles for nightfiring, etc.), but in general terms it is probablysafe to assume that "classic" light mortars havenearly completely exhausted their developmentpotential.

A Royal Marines mortarteam firing their51mm light mortar.(Photo: UK MoD)

The overall combat effective-ness and convenience of lightmortars cannot be assessed inisolation, and must rather beviewed in the overall context ofall infantry area weapons.While the advantages of lightmortars have been highlightedabove, the two main negativefactors are arguably theincreasing competition byAGLs (at least for some specif-ic uses) and the fact that theynormally require a three-mancrew, which is diametrically at

odds with current trends for crew-servedweapons at squad and platoon level.

The situation is much different for theincreasingly popular simplified Commandomodels, which can be carried and used by asingle soldier (although a second crew memberis still required to carry the ammunition) and

The Soitam range of 60mm mortars includes the C-03 Commando Mortar (shown) with aweight of 7kg, a range of 1000m and operated by one man; the C-576 Lightweight Mortaroffering a range of 1600m, also operated by one man; and the crew-served C06A1.(Photo: Soitam)

New deFNder''Remote Weapon Station

FN HERSTALTechnological Tradition

and Technical Innovation

Military Technology MILTECH 6/2010 191

can thus even be deployed toprovide the infantry squadwith its own organic fire sup-port asset without an exces-sive adverse impact on footmobility. In addition, some ofthe current Commando mod-els are not restricted to indi-rect fire, and can also fire theirbombs on a flat or semi-flattrajectory. This capability isprovided through a triggersystem replacing the conven-tional fixed firing pin, which isalso useful to repeat percus-sion on a bomb that fails tofire.

As already indicated.Commando mortars normallyoffer but half the range of their "full size"cousins. This can certainly prove to be a seri-ous limitation under certain operational condi-tions, but in the Author's opinion this short-coming is more than compensated for by theadvantageous minimum range. The shorter theminimum effective range, the more efficient theweapon is during combat in built-up areas. Theaverage figure for Commando mortars is 100m,but some models are credited with 50m.

A variety of different concepts have beenadopted as regards the sights for Commando

mortars. Some manufacturers and users preferextremely simplified solutions such as a whiteaiming line painted along the barrel or rangemarks on the carrying strap, while progressive-ly more sophisticated configurations vary froman optical sight built-in to the carrying handleand range and elevation marks on a firing tablearound the tube, to the alcohol bubble levelsystem up to the sophisticated night-capablesight of the British L9A1. The Rheinmetall FLY-K boasts what is described as a unique systemwith built-in clinometer, which allows bringing

The South African Vektor 40mm AGLoperates on the long recoil principle,firing from the open bolt position.The weapon weighs 29kg, plus 12kgfor the cradle. The ammunition boxholding the belted ammunition can beinstalled on either the left or the righthand side of the receiver, as the directionof feed can be altered without specialtools. Max. rate of fire is 425 rounds/min.,which can be reduced down to360 rounds/ mm. by changing theposition of the muzzle brake.(Photo: Denel}

the weapon to the required firing position bysimply elevating the barrel until it is aligned withthe appropriate elevation mark printed on thetube.

Similar to their "classic" counterparts, Com-mando light mortars have benefitted fromrather limited technological evolution in therecent past, and it is difficult to imagine thatsignificant breakthroughs could be obtained inthe future. A possible direction for further im-provements is represented by signature reduc-tion, which understandably enough is a centralelement to ensure the survival of mortar crews.The one and only currently available model thatoffers a satisfactory overall signature reduction

CZ 75 P-07 DUTYihe latest pjstol Duiil on a polymer frame ttie virtue0) wHich IS totally new trigger mechanism imqrovino triggerpull, Ttie main advantage is really easy interchangeof decockmg lever or manual safety.

CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1Weapon lanked in the POW (personal defence weapon) category is follow-upto famous tradition represented by the Skorpion model. This weaponIS predestined lor close quarters combat and its design will betaken to the full advantage at the specialized units assignments.Advanced construction secures unfailing reliability.

CZ 805 BREN AIAutomatic assault rifle designed to be used with barrelsctiambered in 7.62x39 and 5.56x45 calibres. Ttie weapon isdesignated to be used under any climatic conditions. Fore-endlayout allows Jtiiization ofbroad rangeof accessories.

CZ 75 SP-01 PHANTOMThe CZ 75 SP-01 PHANTOM is a variant of the CZ 75 SP-01TACTICAL pistol Thanks to its low weight achieved by the iisi'of heavy-duty plastic is this handgun suitable for armetf foriisimilar service. The Interchangeable back strap section make» ihandgun easy fo confi gure for any hand size.

CZ 750 SI MlThe CZ 750 SI Ml is standard heavy version of the CZ 750 riffes familydesigned to be used af all sniper's tasks and missions, primarily in unenclosedgrounds. This sniper rifle features fully adjustable trigger mechanism outfitted withadjustable set-trigger as standard. The main virtues of fhis weapon are easily operableand well balanced controls, tiring mechanism cocking indicator, and of coursea long service life and exceptional accuracy of fire.

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is the FLY-K. whose main characteristic is theuse of a unique propulsion unit integrated with-in the bomb's stabilising tail. This unit traps thepropellant gases when firing, thus totally elimi-nating the flash/smoke signature and drastical-ly reducing the noise signature caused by thebaseplate impacting against the ground downto some 40db at 100m. Further, there are nothermal exchanges between the bomb and thebarrel, so that the mortar remains undetectableby IR seekers or thermal alarm systems.

Automatic Grenade LaunchersAutomatic grenade launchers (AGLs) are

increasingly present in the inventory of manyarmed forces worldwide. At the same time,however, they are still the subject of a ratherintense debate, which addresses both theirtechnological characteristics and relevantoperational aspects.

The terms of the debate are cut rather clear-ly. Some analysts and services dismiss AGLsas hybrid weapon systems, whose deploymentat small infantry units level does not seem to befully justifiable In view of the widespread distri-bution of both direct- and indirect-fire squadand fire support weapons such as light/Com-mando mortars and general-purpose or heavymachine guns. Others, however, hail AGLs astruly multi-purpose weapon systems, able toeffectively engage a wide variety of both sta-tionary and mobile targets with direct or indi-rect suppressive area fire.

Recent combat experience would seem topoint, once again, to the rather predictableconclusion that AGLs and HMGs simply sup-plement each other, and the question as towhich is the best weapon can only beanswered in the framework of the tactical mis-sion at hand. A very interesting example is pro-vided by the evolution of the French Army'ssolutions. The Service recently launched acrash programme for the replacement of theopen 12.7mm ring mount on some of its VABwheeled APCs deployed to Afghanistan with a

A US Soldier evaluatesthe performance of tfieModular AccessoryShotgun System (MASS).The MASS combines thefirepower and featuresof the M4 5.56mm rifle inan over/under designwith a 12-gauge shotgun.The MASS allows Soldiersto engage far away targetswith the rifle while takingadvantage of the versatilityof shotgun rounds fortargets up close.The MASS is scheduled tobe fielded vi/rthin the nexttwo fiscal years.(Photo: US DoD)

Kongsberg M151 PROTECTOR remote controlmount, this being obviously in view of the bet-ter protection offered to the gunner. But assoon as the modified vehicies were engaged inoperations, a new emergency programme waslaunched to replace at least some of the 12.7mmHMGs on the Ml 51 mounts with a 40mm AGLThe VABs with open mounts will however main-tain their HMGs - possibly as a result of theirgunners' superior situational awareness.

In what follows we will address AGLs asinfantry weapons in both dismounted and vehi-

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de-mounted configurations, in that even thelatter can in many cases be regarded as organ-ic squad/platoon assets.

AGLs can be used both for area-interdictionpurposes from a defensive position, or to pro-vide offensive fire support to own troops, andcan deliver both direct and indirect fire. Thanksto their use of fragmentation ammunition AGLsare far more efficient in anti-personnel rolesthan other direct-fire fire support weaponssuch as GPMGs and HMGs, whiie also offeringa slightly superior practical engagement range.Also, as already indicated, AGLs also offer asecondary capability against AFVs; dedicatedHEAT rounds are available mostly for theRussian and Chinese AGL designs, whileWestern-oriented manufacturers and usersalike tend to prefer multi-purpose ammunitionsuch as the US M430 HEDP model whoseshaped charge is able to pierce up to 50mm ofarmour. (Incidentally, the M430 is regarded as abetter solution than the standard M383 HEround even to engage personnel out of cover,despite its lower lethal radius).

It remains, though, that the inherent pooraccuracy or AGLs or more precisely of theirammunition (average dispersion is ±10m at arange of 1,500m) is a significant operationalshortcoming, particularly when engaging mov-ing targets. Furthermore, the relatively smallexplosive charge that can be accommodated ina 30-40mm calibre wartiead, which furthermoreis activated by an impact fuse (hence detonat-ing on the ground, unless rather elaborate solu-tions are adopted such as the Russian VOG-25P "bouncing" grenade) results in a less thanoptimal lethal radius. Accordingly, substantialdesign and development efforts have beenfocussed towards improving these characteris-tics.

Some manufacturers have followed theapproach of more efficient fuses. For instance,the already mentioned M430 grenade featuresa front fuse, which however interferes with theshaped charge's jet (hence, the relatively lowpiercing power than could be expected in rela-tion to the warhead's diameter). SACO De-fense, the original manufacturer of the ubiqui-

tous Mk19, followed a different approach, andalready several years ago was offering its sys-tem fitted with an optical sight and laser ran-gefinder - which, however, proved capable ofbut a modest improvement. Other manufactur-ers have pushed further along the same road,introducing subsequent generations of AGLsthat are alt more or less based on the samearchitecture as pioneered by the Mk19 butboast increasingly sophisticated sights.Examples of this trend would include theHeckler & Koch GMG model, featuring a reflexoptical sight. Beyond these partial improve-ments, the real solution to improve the opera-tional shortcoming of conventional AGL designhas been found with the parallel developmentand introduction of two new technologies:- Sophisticated sights with integral laser

rangefinders and ballistic computers, whichcan be described as true miniaturised (andnot extremely expensive) fire control systemsable to produce a ballistic solution based onthe range to the target and the characteris-tics of the ammunition being used; and.

The XM25 Individual Airburst Weapon System is based on roughlythe same principles as adopted for new-generation AGLs (fullsolution target acquisition/fire control system and programmableammunition), but its 25mm air-burst round has a spin rather thana time fuse (i.e., the fuse counts the projectile's revolutions).The range of 25x40mm rounds will include HE airburst, armour-piercing, anti-personnel, breaching and non-lethal rounds, with arange of 500m against point targets and up to 700m against areatargets. The system is under development by Heckler & Koch andAlliant Techsystems, virhile the target acquisition/fire control isdeveloped by L-3 IOS Brashear. Fielding is tentatively projectedto start in FY 2012, and current plans call for a purchase of12,500 XM25s at a projected cost per weapon system of $25,000.(Photo: US Army / PEO Soldier)

The US Army has started fielding the new M320 40mm grenadelauncher, with the 82nd Airbome Division as the first unit slated forre-equipment. The M320, which replaces the current M203 model,offers a significant increase in firing accuracy both at night andday, thanks to a laser rangefinder and infrared laser pointer.It is also more versatile, with its ability to mount under the barrelof an assault rifle or be fired as a stand-alone weapon, and is saferdue to its double-action trigger.(Photo: PEO Soldier)

The Milkor M32 semi-automatic individual grenade launcher,in service most notably with the US Marine Corps is an innovative

way to provide area suppression fire with the same low-velocity40x46mm grenades as fired by the standard under-barrel launchers

for assault rifles.(Photo: US Marine Corps)

194

The everlasting M2 12.7rnrn heavy machinegun appeared to be on its way out from

the inventories of modern armed forces,as unsuitable for contemporary battlefieldrequirements. The operational conditions

in both Iraq and Afghanistan have howeverled to a precipitous rediscovery of its

usefulness, with many weapons beingtaken out of storage.

(Photo: USMC)

- Air-burst ammunition with programmabletime fuse.

These two advances complement each otherto transfonm automatic grenade iaunchers intofar more efficient weapon systems than previ-ously possible. Air burst provides muchenhanced lethality, but of course it would notbe feasible without a way tc "tell" the projectilethe exact moment it must detonate. On theother hand, the inherent poor accuracy of AGLsand their ammunition would arguably makesophisticated sights-cum-FCS not worth theircost, if programmable fuses were not available.

The working principle is derived from tech-nologies that were originally developed back inthe '70s and '80s for medium-calibre anti-air-craft automatic cannons. As each round pass-es through the gun muzzle, the selected time ofdetonation is programmed into the fuse by amagnetic induction device (coil) interfaced withthe FCS. The time of detonation is computed

by the FCS based on the expected time-of-flight of the projectile. The timer in the fusecounts down to zero and the round detonatesat the intended point, spreading a cloud ofhighly lethal fragments towards the target.

The advent of fire control systems combinedwith air bursting ammunition makes all the dif-ference. AGLs can now be used much moreeffectively to engage both area and linear tar-gets (e.g., personnel out of cover, a column ofsoft-skinned or light armoured vehicles along aroad) and arguably even airborne targets (suchas transport helicopters engaged in verticalassault operations, or attack helicopters in

ambush positions) thanks to their new capabil-ity to saturate volumes in addition to areas. Thisoperating principle further implies that the war-head can be designed to project most splintersand fragments in a front cone, which translatedinto further much improved effectiveness(although the circular lethal radius if of coursereduced), fvlost models also incorporate a sec-ondary impact fuse which can be deactivatedby the firer in particular conditions (for instance,when firing in wooded areas or through thickbushes) and a permanent self-destruct devicewhich prevents duds from becoming a poten-tial hazard. It will also be possible to use AGLs

WEAPON &. SIGHT MOUNTING SYSTEMSPROTECTED WEAPON STATIONS

Mllltwy Technology • MILTECH • 6/2010 195

to saturate certain open surfaces {for instance,windows and doors when fighting in built-upareas) even when the specific conditions (e.g..lack of a wall or other obstacle immediatelybehind the opening) vi/ould make it pointless tofire through the opening v ith standard impact-fuse ammunition. Intuitively enough, AGLs alsobecome very effective against concealed ordefilade targets, although the lack of a directrangefinder reading would admittedly result inthe time fuse being set to an approximatevalue. The ammunition with programmabletime fuse remains physically compatible withconventional AGLs with traditional sights, butof course it cannot be programmed for airburst.

Needless to say, however, such capabilitieshave their cost. This is not only as regards theweapons themselves, but also and perhapsmore significantly the ammunition - a program-mable 40mm round is projected to cost someten times more than a standard round, even inthe case of mass production. This certainlyhelps to explain why new generation AGLs andammunition are not exactly taking the marketby storm.

In the US, the General Dynamics Mk47STRIKER, fitted with a Raytheon AN/PGW-1lightweight video sight and firing NAMMOPPHE high-performance programmable air-burst rounds, is claimed to be the first integrat-ed air-burst capable crew-served weapon sys-tem to be fielded anywhere in the world, but itis being procured only in relatively small num-bers and basically for the Special Forces. Thismight conceivably be also due to the emer-gence of new operational doctrines, whereby atleast some of the roles currently covered byAGLs would be canied out by the future XM25Individual Airburst Weapon, incorporating a fur-ther-miniaturised version of very much thesame technological advances as the Mk47.

Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) hasfollowed a different (and commercially muchmore intriguing) approach, and rather than aweapons system as such has developed an

"upgrade kit" comprised of an FCS, delay-set-ting device and programmable air-burst ammu-nition. This "kit" can be applied not only toSTK's own range of AGLs (this includes theoriginal CIS-40 model, the SLW lightweight ver-sion with weight reduced to 16kg while main-taining the same rate of fire of 350 rounds/min.and the super lightweight SLWAGL variant), butalso to many other AGLs chambered for thestandard 40mm ammunition. Still, there are noreports of recent sales.

Back to Basics?The US Army's lukewarm attitude towards

fielding the Mk47 as a new-generation AGLweapon was originally assumed to be a resultof the parallel programme for the XM307ACSW (Advanced Crew Served Weapons),intended to fire a new range of high-velocity25x59mm proximity-fused ammunition (this isnot be confused with the low-velocity25x40mm ammunition of the XM25) offeringmost notably a much longer useful range {up to2000m) and a flatter trajectory. The XM307 pro-gramme was terminated in 2007. however, andsoon afterwards the companion XM312 (a con-

The new M806Ijghhveight 12.7mniheavy machine gunis expected to bedeployed un servicewith the US Armystarting at the end ofFY 2011. the first unitsto get the new weaponbeing highly mobiletroops such asAirborne, Mountainar>d Special Operations(SOCOM).(Photo: US Army/PEO Soldier)

ventional heavy machine gun firing the stan-dard range of 12.7mm ammunition and sharingthe same basic design and many parts with theXM307. thus allowing for quick conversionbetween the two configurations) was alsodropped due to poor field test results.

The XM307/XM312 combination was origi-nally expected to progressively replace a largepart of the inventory of 12.7mm HMGs as wellas the Mk19 AGLs. With the demise of bothprogrammes. General Dynamics was awardeda contract to develop a new HMG that wouldreplace the M2, The new project was originallyknown as LW50MG and has since been type-classified as P()M806. being now intended toaugment rather than replace the M2.

The design of the p<)lvl806 is based on therecoil-reducing action, developed for theXM307. The new HMG is 50% lighter (18kgwithout mount) and produces 60% less recoilthan the M2. but at the cost of a lower rate offire (250 rounds/min.) albeit higher than theXM312. The M806 is expected to be deployedstarting at the end of FY 2011, the first units toget the new weapon being highly mobile troopssuch as Airborne. Mountain and SpecialOperations (SOCOM).

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196 Military Technology MILTECH • 6/2010

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