Future soldier
accuracy when desired. The most apparent benefit of this would be that one could carry a weapon with similar firepower of a .50cal on a foot patrol.” Each weapon fielded by US special forces has a specific role. The range, accuracy and effects on target are tailored to make that weapon an effective tool. Weight is always a prime concern for the special operator, too, so careful consideration must be given to the trade-offs of range, accuracy and effects because these nearly always have an inverse relation to weight. The LMG-M, for its part, will come with a suite of accessories to help improve range, accuracy and lethality. It is likely to have a dedicated optic to improve its effectiveness against distant targets, though details are not yet available. The same is true of night rangefinders for snipers. A lighter-weight model weapon – the so-called Lightweight Machine Gun-Assault’ – is in development too. Ultimately, it could replace the ageing 5.56mm Squad Automatic Weapon.
According to SOCOM, the special forces are also looking at new suppressors to reduce flash, sound, heat and round disturbance on its range of small arms. As the new weapon will be effective at ranges beyond those of the M240B, there is a need for both day and night optics, as well as updated laser markers and range finders.
“Suppression technology is continually improving, and we intend to field the most effective one we can with the system,” the SOCOM representative explains. “We’ll need the full suite of ammunition and modern advances. For example, we’ll need tracers, or something similar, to allow a gunner to see where his bullets are impacting at great range in both daylight and dark, and preferably without giving away the position of the gun.”
Best of British
American efforts to equip its armed forces with new and improved small arms are being echoed elsewhere. Across the Atlantic, for instance, British troops will soon benefit from a £90m contract to deliver modern, high-precision rifles. Initially deployed by the Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB), which operates in high-threat environments, the new Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) system will be a step up in lethality, while sight and hearing signature reduction bolster its discretion. The AIW, also known as the L403A1, is a high- performance development of the ArmaLite Rifle (AR). It will be procured by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) under the so-called Project HUNTER scheme. Consisting of a new assault rifle, a muzzle signature reduction system and improved optical sighting systems, it’ll be both more reliable and more accurate than existing systems. For Nato as a whole, the development of new small arms is down to individual members. “Small arms innovation is a crucial aspect of enhancing soldiers’ operational effectiveness and adaptability,”
remarks SOFCOM. “They play an indispensable role in counterterrorism and hybrid warfare, and technological advancements allow us to address those unique challenges posed by those threats. For allied SOF, it is important that each nation determines its priorities regarding small arms improvement to achieve the best possible results.” Whatever the weapons, meanwhile, innovation in other areas can’t slow down either. For instance, SOCOM stresses that it is not focusing more on small arms than on drones and precision-strike system. All the same, it continues efforts to maintain a competitive edge in small arms – unsurprising when they’re so lightweight, cost- effective and reliable.
“The standards of reliability for weapons and ammunition are far more strenuous than almost any other system of which I can think,” notes our source. “When all communications are jammed or an electro-magnetic pulse has rendered all other technology ineffective, the machine gun and battle rifle are still going to work, and we can rely on our special operators to carry on with the mission.”
As that last comment implies, highly trained warfighters are just as vital as the weapons they hold. To put it differently, whatever innovations ultimately make their way into the LMG-M package, there is an implicit understanding that the weapon is just a tool – and that nothing is more important to the outcome of a mission than the person holding it.
“Humans are more important than hardware – that has always been the first SOF truth,” SOCOM says. “The most important weapon system of Special Operations Command is the special operator. All of the technologies we bring to the fight must work as a system to support the human that is accomplishing the mission.” ●
Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com
A vehicle-mounted M2 Browning .50cal machine gun, with an effective range of 6,800m.
3,725m
The maximum range of the M240B machine gun currently used by US Special Forces.
6,800m
The maximum range of the M2 .50cal machine gun currently used by US Special Forces.
Military.com 23
aleks333/
Shutterstock.com
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