New Army "Caliber Configuration Study"

[cory]

Okay. Do we know now if commanders in a future conflict would restrict a .338 MMG to specialized missions?

LRRPF52 has explained this several pages ago. I won't touch on the Army SOPs as LRRPF52 explains it better than I can, as I have no experience there.

The Marine Corps SOPs I can explain. Each USMC Infantry Battalion has 3 Rifle companies, a Weapons Company, and H&S Company. For this sub-discussion only the Rifle companies are directly relevant.

Each Line Company has 4 Platoons - 3 Rifle Platoons and 1 Weapons Platoon.

The Weapons Platoon is made up of a MMG Section (currently M240s), a 60mm Mortars Section, and a Assault Section (SMAWS). Each of these sections are made up of Squads that implement their crew served weapons. These squads are attached to the Rifle Platoon/Squad/Team, normally on a per Mission Basis. They may on occasion be tasked out with a mission in support of the Rifle Platoon/Squad/Team.

It's not commanders of the future, this has been SOP for sometime.
http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Public...Forces.pdf

We've seen the M240 issued at the Rifle Squad level in Afghanistan out of necessity, not as a Marine Corps SOP.