The Army wants to field a new .50-caliber machine gun that’s about 64 percent lighter than the venerable Ma Deuce.Weapons officials classified the General Dynamics-made lightweight .50-caliber machine gun as the XM806 in March, clearing the way for further testing of the radical new design.
While it would not replace the M2 .50-caliber machine gun, also known as Ma Deuce, the Army hopes to field the 30-pound XM806 in 2012 as a lightweight alternative to the 84-pound M2, said Lt. Col. Mike Ascura, product manager for crew-served weapons.“Now that it is an experimental weapon, we will look at the design … and determine if the gun meets the needs of the Army to move forward as a program of record,” he said. “There is some real potential here.”
A lighter machine gun would allow our troops to maneuver and set up quicker. A lighter machine gun would also allow more troops to be able to carry the machine gun into battle. Hopefully a lightweight heavy duty machine gun will provide our troops with the cover and firepower needed in tight spots. What other weapon improvements would you like to see?
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The additional of a lighter .50-caliber machine gun to the Army weapon inventory would greatly enhance the warfighter's capabilities.
As a veteran of two combat tours in Iraq, the M2 was the weapon of choice anytime my convoys were moving in the theater. My soldiers quickly became proficient in their use. A drawback to our M2's at the time was their weight. If we had to react to contact on the road and begin to maneuver in more restrictive terrain, the M2 and gunner would have had to stay with the vehicle and provide support. A lighter .50 caliber would have given us a tactical advantage. We would be able to maneuver on foot and maintain a clear firepower edge over our opposing enemy forces.
An additional .50 caliber weapon will also increase the total number of these weapon types in the Army inventory in the M2 is to continue it's service. Another resource deficiency during my time in Iraq was the number of M2's available to my company. In my Signal company, our convoy protection weapons consisted of two MK-19s, one M2, and additional M-249s as needed. We only used one M2 because we were only issued one M2. Understandably, more of these weapons went to the units conducting and executing offensive operations, but we always wanted to have additional M2s for our convoy operations.
A new, lighter .50 caliber machine gun will be a welcome addition to many units on today's battlefield.
“The views expressed in this article opinion are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”
MAJ Sean Bratton
U.S. Army
Command and General Staff College Student
