Improved Infantry Squad Capabilities Article

[BluntForceTrauma]

This article provoked me: Arming the Next Infantry Squad.

Quotes:

" 'Lethality is a concern,' Barnett said, describing some of the weapons-related improvements the Army is considering."

"For one, infantry officials are looking at developing a compact version of the service's M110 Semiautomatic Sniper System for squad-designated marksmen."


"Since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, infantry squads have become more capable of killing enemies positioned beyond the range of the M4 carbine."


"Squad-designated marksman first carried Vietnam-era M14 rifles chambered for 7.62mm. They were pulled out of storage and equipped with a range of scopes. Then weapons officials modernized the outdated weapon into the M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle. The new weapon featured a custom aluminum stock equipped with rails for mounting optics and other high-tech shooting essentials."


"Infantrymen give the EBR high marks for its accuracy out to 800 meters, but said its 15-pound unloaded weight is a burden. There's also a concern that the enemy can easily spot designated marksmen carrying the EBR and target them."


"The M110, made by Knight's Armament Company, is also easy to recognize since it's 46.5-inches with suppressor, more than 13 inches longer than the M4. But Knight's also makes a carbine version of the M110 that's very similar to the M4 and weighs just over eight pounds."


OK. Wow. Here's a thought: How about a weapon that shoots like the M110 and yet is an M4 platform? Hmmm. . . . Radical.


Yet again, if somebody is willing to think outside the box, there is a solution out there. . . .


Very difficult not to lose patience with these guys. . . .



John