Behind the Cover: The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle goes Corps-wide
June 20th, 2011 | Afghanistan Behind the Cover Infantry The CMC Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
This week’s Marine Corps Times cover story outlines a change that has been debated for at least a decade: Dumping the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in favor of an infantry automatic rifle.
Commandant Gen. Jim Amos recently approved the change, allowing full fielding of the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. It’s a possibility that has been widely discussed in the last few years, but we lay out what it will mean for infantry units, rifle qualifications and those snazzy polymer magazines that Marines love, but won’t be able to take downrange anymore.
The 5.56mm IAR will become the new standard for automatic riflemen. That means there will be one in virtually every four-man fire team, with three per squad, 28 per infantry company and 4,476 across the Corps.
For what it’s worth, senior writer Gina Cavallaro is embedded with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. She has details on how the unit — the first to deploy with the IAR — has adopted the weapon into its operations downrange. Expect to see those in a forthcoming Marine Corps Times, too.
Check out this week’s Marine Corps Times on newsstands for more details, or subscribe here online.
Comments
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jules Says:
June 20th, 2011 at 3:19 pmAwesome, awesome to the max. Finally some branch in America sees the value of the HK416 system.
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Battle Rattle - A Marine Corps Times Blog – Exclusive photos: The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle in combat Says:
June 27th, 2011 at 11:47 am[...] M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle was approved for full fielding recently by Commandant Gen. Jim Amos. Marine Corps Times profiled the decision in its print edition last week, outlining what it means for each fire team, rifle qualifications and the gear Marines [...]
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FormerSFMedic Says:
June 28th, 2011 at 6:19 pmIt is a shame that this will replace the SAW. I just hope our Marines are ready to pick up the slack this weapon is going to leave behind. God Bless our Marines who go into combat with this largely ineffective “machine gun”.
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