LWRC’s Multi-Mission Battle Rifle
Today’s new lightweight, automatic warfighter!
The key to the Marine Corps’ success and its most basic element is the Marine rifleman. A tough, tenacious warrior that the German soldiers of World War II found to be so ferocious that they gave him the nickname “Teufel-hunden” or Devil Dog. The Marine rifleman is an extremely effective and efficient killing machine on the battlefield.
One of the tools that make Marines so effective is the weapons with which they’re armed. The standard fire team is made of four Marines armed with three M4 or M16 rifles (the fire team leader carries an M203 40mm grenade launcher) and an M249 SAW (squad automatic weapon). This configuration of men and weapons has served the Marine Corps well for nearly 20 years, but in recent years, and especially with the greatly increased operational tempo, the time has come for an update. The biggest impetus for this evolution has been the change from Cold War-style massed infantry tactics, where a heavy base of fire from a SAW would allow the fire team to operate and maneuver in the open environments of Eastern Europe, to a more fluid CQB (close quarters battle) unit in urban Iraq.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:33 am
There is a MAJOR MISTAKE with YOUR COLUM! It was DURING WWI NOT WWII that the GERMAN TROOPS GAVE THE USMC the NAME “DEVIL DOG”.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Stephen Hilliard does a fantastic job. I look forward to reading more of his work.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Id hit it.
July 17th, 2008 at 10:26 am
That author is amazing. Uses words like blunt instruments… thrilling. I can’t wait to buy the magazine and learn more!