Why the USMC should not buy the "IAR"

[Chino]

Plus most of our normal rifleman carries much more than just a rifle (some will carry an attached 40mm grenade launcher and some will carry a disposal anti-tank weapon).

IMHO, 18+1 is simply an exclamation of: It is sh!t heavy and not the most practical from a grunt's point of view.

I'll gladly trade my 15kg radio load for 19 x mags. At least the mags will get lighter after contact.

I always put the loaded mags with the lip facing upwards so that I can tell the loaded mag apart from the empties just by touch. IIRC at BMT, we were taught the opposite - to put the loaded mags with the lip facing down.

Going slightly off-topic, the only good thing IMO about the M249 vs Ultimax is that with a belt-feed, you have no empties to lug around.

I have pictures of the Ultimax rig for carrying 4 spare drums. Not fun to carry, and look like a bit of work to just get the new drum out, and then put the empty drum back in. With this scenario, I can see why 30rd mags, despite its limitations, may still be best for the assault role.

 

[Driller]

I would typically carry 2 liters for a single 6 hour platoon or section level foot patrol.

Is that in Afghanistan or Iraq? I was watching Ross Kemp in Afghanistan the other day and he said the British troops plus himself had to carry and drink 9L of water a day as in around 12-16 hours. I suppose conditions vary all the time but i would have thought 2L for 6 hours would not nearly be enough?

 

[OPSSG]

Is that in Afghanistan or Iraq? I was watching Ross Kemp in Afghanistan the other day and he said the British troops plus himself had to carry and drink 9L of water a day as in around 12-16 hours. I suppose conditions vary all the time but i would have thought 2L for 6 hours would not nearly be enough?

Our army trains mainly in a tropical jungle environment, though I have been gone for overseas military training in Thailand (which was the hottest environment I encountered in training), where the ambient temperature exceeded by my body temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (in that case, we took special precautions).

Notice the underlined words: "9L of water a day". You drink like crazy before patrol and drink lots thereafter to make up for the water loss. You literally lose weight from sweat in each patrol. During a patrol, you engage in thirst management (and your physical performance degrades a little over time). And small unit patrols are very different from moving as a battalion or as part of a brigade.

Typically, as commanders, we make our men drink, 1L, in one sitting even before we leave base for the patrol (via something called a water parade) and we make them carry at least 2L more, to avoid early heat exhaustion.

Back then, I was also much more fit than I am now. As a foot solider, you try to reduce weight where you can but your most important attribute is your mental strength - which is far more important than just the physical dimension.

If you drink it, you don't have to carry it.

Disclosure: I'm Singaporean and a civilian now. I served in the SAF, as a conscript, over 20 years ago and have never been deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq. BTW, Singapore has a predominantly conscript army, unlike Australia, who has a professional army.

 

[Chino]

Typically, as commanders, we make our men drink, 1L, in one sitting even before we leave base for the patrol (via something called a water parade)

Sometimes, water parade starts the night before. And as recruits they add some kind of salt to the water as well, IIRC.

 

[OPSSG]

I'll gladly trade my 15kg radio load for 19 x mags. At least the mags will get lighter after contact.

Yes, the '80s PRC 77 and it's brick like battery... I've carried it before. :shudder
And that is why I like the Ultimax as a SAW, as it is light.

Sometimes, water parade starts the night before. And as recruits they add some kind of salt to the water as well, IIRC.

Agreed.

 

[F-15 Eagle]

Going slightly off-topic, the only good thing IMO about the M249 vs Ultimax is that with a belt-feed, you have no empties to lug around.

I have pictures of the Ultimax rig for carrying 4 spare drums. Not fun to carry, and look like a bit of work to just get the new drum out, and then put the empty drum back in. With this scenario, I can see why 30rd mags, despite its limitations, may still be best for the assault role.

For the assault role yes but the machine gunner role ah not so much.

 

[Eddy01741]

Sorry to revive, but I've taken somewhat of an interest in the IAR.

Anyways, some updates to the developing IAR platform:

FNH, Colt, and H&K were selected as the finalists for the IAR platform, each receiving development contracts. FNH's entry is basically a scaled up SCAR which can operate from an open or closed bolt. Colt's offering is a scaled up M4A1, still using direct gas impingement. Lastly, H&K's entry is a scaled up 16.5 inch barrel HK416.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, H&K's IAR was selected. The Colt IAR uses direct gas impingement and thus would have the same reliability issues of the M16 platform, and the SCAR has different ergonomics than the M4/M16 platform in service, looks different (enemies could identify a soldier carrying a different weapon than the rest of the fire team), and also the HK416 was selected over the FN SCAR-L by the JSOC while the rest of SOCOM is fielding the SCAR-L. The H&K IAR has similar ergonomics to the M4/M16 platform and thus will not be a huge change for those using the IAR, but it also uses a gas piston system which generally has less reliability problems than direct gas impingement.

I myself am fairly excited about the IAR entering service. I think it actually has a role in a fire team as a weapon which can lay down suppressing fire when necessary but also can be used similarly to a normal combat assault rifle and be almost as mobile as one too. Also, there have been developments on a 100+ round drum/dual drum magazines, such as this one from Armatec: defense review.com/armatac-saw-mag-also-written-sawmag-150-shot-double-drum-magazine-for-usmcs-hk-iar-infantry-automatic-rifle-for-mobile-infantry-fn-m249-sawlmg-look-out (remove space between defense and review, apparently I can't post links until 10 posts made) . Interestingly, the article title states "FN M249 SAW/LMG Look Out!". My impression was that the IAR would supplement the SAW from what I've been reading, however, a magazine-based replacement of the SAW wouldn't be too bad an idea in my opinion.




Anyways, through reading the last 12 pages of discussion, I wanted to discuss and debate some of the comments made:

F-15 Eagle, you constantly state that 30 rounds isn't enough. While that may be true in some extenuating circumstances, a 30 round magazine being fired in bursts should be just fine for suppressing fire. For example, with 5 round bursts, it would go like: burst, burst, burst, burst, burst, burst, magazine reload, burst, burst, etc. Reloading a magazine is much easier than replacing a belt or having an assistant constantly adding on more segments to the belt.

Also, you state the need for volume of fire, yet in many posts you seem to be praising the Mk.46 Mod.0 as a replacement for the current FN Minimi/M249 SAW. You do know what the Mk.46 Mod.0 is, right? The Mk.46 Mod.0 is a smaller version of the current FN Minimi/M249 SAW in service right now: world.gu ns.ru/machine/mg17-e.htm (remove spaces again). The Mk.46 Mod.0 wouldn't solve any mechanical problems that the SAW has in exotic environments (IE, desert environments) right now because it's the same gun, just with a shorter barrel and no magazine feed capability, which leads to my next point. The barrel of the Mk.46 Mod.0 is just about 16 inches long (406mm, rough conversion 2.54:1 cm:inch ratio=15.98 inches) rather than the usual 18.3 inch barrel on the M249. Smaller barrel=less ability to sustain fire no? So why do you support using the Mk.46 Mod.0 as a SAW replacement? Not to mention less accuracy and muzzle velocity which leads to reduced range. Lastly, the H&K IAR has a 16.5 inch barrel and is magazine fed. Thus, it has similar (well, even longer) barrel length to the Mk.46 Mod.0, sounds like similar capabilities, no? Furthermore, the H&K IAR is magazine fed, the M249 can be either magazine or belt fed, and the Mk.46 Mod.0 only has belt feed capability (no mag feed for reduced weight). With new dual drum magazines coming out with 100+ round capacity (like the one I linked earlier in my post), it may be beneficial to carry magazines rather than belts. As belts are far more unwieldy and take much longer to reload (or have an assistant attaching additional ammo onto the current belt). Replacing the SAW currently in service with the Mk.46 Mod.0 doesn't seem like a smart idea to me, even in terms of what seems to be your primary parameters for a LSW, volume of fire, the Mk.46 Mod.0 will not offer as much volume of fire as the current SAW. Furthermore, reduced accuracy and range, and the same reliability problems make it tough to recommend the Mk.46 Mod.0 as a SAW replacement.

 

[Chino]

the SCAR... looks different (enemies could identify a soldier carrying a different weapon than the rest of the fire team),

I've heard this argument many times. Can you point me to a reliable source that proves "looking like the M16" is an official requirement? Or is it an argument that everybody just repeat so much they believe it to be true?

Because if this was an official requirement, they would have stated it in the RFP and the FN IAR and the Ultimax IAR would not have wasted everybody's time entering.

...the SCAR has different ergonomics than the M4/M16 platform in service...

How different is the FN SCAR's ergonomics in your opinion?

Also, there have been developments on a 100+ round drum/dual drum magazines, ... ...a magazine-based replacement of the SAW wouldn't be too bad an idea in my opinion.

Look at the bulkiness of that 150rd dual drum.

It's a joke. The IAR is not intended to be a static bullet hose.

F-15 Eagle, you constantly state that 30 rounds isn't enough.

Actually, if you are firing bursts, 30rd mag is not quite enough.

But that's why the USMC insists that the IAR is capable of aimed semi-auto fire when FA is a waste of ammo.

A larger capacity box mag that is still compact, will be the best solution.

For example, with 5 round bursts, it would go like: burst, burst, burst, burst, burst, burst, magazine reload, burst, burst, etc

How many 5rd bursts have you fired? Because with a light hand held or even bipod/gripod mounted rifle, the third rd will already quite some ways off target.

Unless, of course, you are using the Ultimax.

As belts are far more unwieldy and take much longer to reload (or have an assistant attaching additional ammo onto the current belt).

Do you have experience with either (belt or drum)?

 

[Chino]

For the assault role yes but the machine gunner role ah not so much.

The USMC IAR, is not intended to be a "machine gun".

Nor the Ultimax in SAF service. Though it is built as a LMG, in practice we used it more like an IAR. Plus we have the GPMG in the support role which will always trump any 5.56 LMG and well worth the weight it burdens you with.

 

[IronsightSniper]

Seems like a good idea to me, 100 round drums are easier to load, and thus, reload, which does two things. One, it takes out the loader out of the equation, as of right now, you need 2 dudes to maintain a constant, stream of sustained fire from a M249. However, with the iAR, you can just spray the said 100 rounds, maneuver to a different position, reload your IAR whilst maneuvering, and then, pour another stream of lead. Also, one could point on that because you wouldn't need another guy to maintain your belt, he could also be carrying his own IAR, and pouring lead down.

 

[Firn]

The H&K IAR has similar ergonomics to the M4/M16 platform and thus will not be a huge change for those using the IAR, but it also uses a gas piston system which generally has less reliability problems than direct gas impingement.

I think it actually has a role in a fire team as a weapon which can lay down suppressing fire when necessary but also can be used similarly to a normal combat assault rifle and be almost as mobile as one too.

In my humble opinion this "IAR" should be taken for what the rifle seems to be. It looks like a more reliable, maybe a bit more accurate, and a bit heavier "M4" which should be able to sustain automatic fire better and send out the bullets with a bit more energy. It is in some ways a compromise between the M16A4 and the M4 fitted with a piston design and a heavy profile barrel. Thus it should be suitable for accurate, fast single fire and also be better able to sustain automatic fire then the current infantry weapons (M16, M4) of the US forces.

In short it just might fit the bill to become the new MC standard infantry carabine/rifle.


Firn

 

[regstrup]

Seems like a good idea to me, 100 round drums are easier to load, and thus, reload, which does two things. One, it takes out the loader out of the equation, as of right now, you need 2 dudes to maintain a constant, stream of sustained fire from a M249. However, with the iAR, you can just spray the said 100 rounds, maneuver to a different position, reload your IAR whilst maneuvering, and then, pour another stream of lead. Also, one could point on that because you wouldn't need another guy to maintain your belt, he could also be carrying his own IAR, and pouring lead down.

In theory it sounds very good, but in the dusty combat inviroments like Iraq and Afghanistan it will not work. The day, that a reliably 100 drum magasin is invented, it might work.

The danish army tried it with the Dimaeco LSV and the Beta-C mag, which worked on the shooting range, but in the field the Beta-C proved inreliably and instead of being able to shot 100 shoots without changing mag, you stood with a mag jammed with 50-80 shoots, you couldn't use............NICE

So the danish army is looking at a belt feed LSV for their infantrysquad. Wether it is going to be 5.56 or 7.62 is still to been seen. Until then, they use their MG3, eventough they are very heavy and outworn. But they work !!!

 

[Chrisious]

Sounds like this subject could be a never ending conumdrum, below is an interesting take on (I believe) an MG08(obviously a little on the heavy side).

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFbw9dCFsjU&feature=related[/nomedia]

 

[Eddy01741]

Sorry for not quoting, but quotes are long, and multiquotes are a pain to do.

Looking like M16, not a requirement obviously. Is it a bad thing? No, looks like M16, handles like M16, I'd say that's a plus.

Never handled the SCAR myself, but it's a different gun, it is different to handle, however slight it may be, the SCAR is nowhere near as similar to the M16 as the HK416.

That 150 round dual mag looks bulky to you? Having 150 rounds in a belt doesn't seem like it'd be much less bulky. It's not supposed to be solely a bullet hose, but since it is a LSW it should have the capability should the need arise.

30rds not enough for burst? So I guess that means we should make all assault rifles semi-auto only right?

I have fired quite a number of five round bursts. Obviously even the second round will be a bit off target because of the recoil. But this is suppressing fire, not accurately sniping the enemy with bursts. Also, you seem to take a liking to the Ultimax, just a observation from the past 12 pages. Never tried it myself, so cannot comment on it.

Yes, I have experience with belt and drum. Are you really saying it takes longer to reload a dual drum magazine compared to a belt?

@Firn, I realize. It's basically the standard combat assault rifle with more capability to lay down suppresing fire if the need arises. It seems like a more versatile, more reliable, yet heavier version of the M4/M16 which can be used to supplement the SAW in suppressing fire if necessary.


Anyways, the issue of drum magazines, the USMC has commented that they are being looked into and developed. I know the Beta C-Mag has been less than impressive in terms of reliability, but that's just one drum magazine.

 

[Chino]

Looking like M16, not a requirement obviously. Is it a bad thing? No, looks like M16, handles like M16, I'd say that's a plus.

That was not my point of my question.

Never handled the SCAR myself, but it's a different gun, it is different to handle, however slight it may be, the SCAR is nowhere near as similar to the M16 as the HK416.

No doubt, but again, the point of my question is "how different" ergonomically-speaking? Will these differences be very detrimental to an IAR gunner who WILL obviously receive training on said weapon.

That 150 round dual mag looks bulky to you? Having 150 rounds in a belt doesn't seem like it'd be much less bulky. It's not supposed to be solely a bullet hose, but since it is a LSW it should have the capability should the need arise.

Question: is the IAR supposed to replace all SAWs? Because that seems to be where you are heading.

30rds not enough for burst? So I guess that means we should make all assault rifles semi-auto only right?

It is not "quite enough" was what I said.

You can take this and twist it any way you want.

I have fired quite a number of five round bursts. Obviously even the second round will be a bit off target because of the recoil. But this is suppressing fire, not accurately sniping the enemy with bursts.

IOW a complete waste of ammo?

Even suppressing fire need a degree of accuracy to be effective. How loosely that is interpreted is up to the individual.

If I make a guess, it'd have to be impacting within 2m of the target. Will a HK IAR be able to achieve this at 50m, 100m, 300m?

Yes, I have experience with belt and drum.

So what can you share with us from your experience?

Are you really saying it takes longer to reload a dual drum magazine compared to a belt?

No. I'd leave that to a trained MG gunner who has experience with both system.

Anyways, the issue of drum magazines, the USMC has commented that they are being looked into and developed. I know the Beta C-Mag has been less than impressive in terms of reliability, but that's just one drum magazine.

IMO 50, or 75rd drums sounds more reasonable for the IAR role.

 

[Firn]

@Firn, I realize. It's basically the standard combat assault rifle with more capability to lay down suppresing fire if the need arises. It seems like a more versatile, more reliable, yet heavier version of the M4/M16 which can be used to supplement the SAW in suppressing fire if necessary.

IMHO the M27 is pretty similar to the Berettas and H&Ks already in use as standard assault rifles, the only really big differences seems to be the slightly heavier barrel profile. Perhaps they get issued with a Grip which can also be deployed as a light bipod.

With less heat-built up (piston design) in the bold area and a heavier front due to the weight of the piston design and the heavier barrel automatic fire should be easier to control and sustain then an M4 with the same "Gripod". Of course a certain degree of accuracy should still only get achieved with pretty short burst.

IMO 50, or 75rd drums sounds more reasonable for the IAR role.

A reliable, not too clumsy 50-60 rounds mag could be already a good step forward. We will see how the MC integrates this new weapons into the squads. Their new ammo begs quite some legal questions, but I have little doubt that it will be welcomed on the sharp end.


Firn

 

[F-15 Eagle]

The M27 to me looks like an attempt to get a new assault rifle to replace the M4/M16 in order to get past all the politics.

The debate on an auto rifle vs a machine gun will continue to go on and whether or not the M27 with a 30 round mag is enough to replace some of the SAWs remains to be seen.

I still firmly believe is most situations a belt fed machine gun is better than a rifle for suppressing fire, unless if the fire team is moving fast and they need something lighter than the auto rifle is better it just depends on the mission and circumstances. Thats why I think the USMC is only replacing 2000 or so SAWs and keeping the remaining 8000 plus there is the M240 as well.