Jane's Information Group: US Army sees urgent need for 'longer-range' infantry weapon

[Chris Cram]

01 August 2008

"The US Army is requesting more funds to buy modified M14 rifles to meet an urgent operational need.

According to a Department of Defense reprogramming request, units in theatre want an infantry weapon that can engage targets at longer ranges than the standard 5.56 x 45 mm Colt M4 carbine and M16 rifle.

"Without this additional funding, units in the fight will not receive the long-range engagement capability they urgently need to engage improvised explosive device (IED) teams at long range and immediately respond to attacks from rocket-propelled grenades and crew-served weapon emplacements outside the range of the M4/M16 rifle," the request states. "The infantry rifle squad does not have an integrated 800 m weapon."

Funding will pay for bipods, scopes and stocks to modify the M14 rifles, which fire the more powerful NATO 7.62 x 51 mm rifle round. The M14 was phased out of service in the mid-1960s as a standard-issue rifle, but the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen a limited return of the M14 as a designated marksman rifle. "


http://www.janes.com/news/defence/la...0801_1_n.shtml

[longrange1947]

But dam, we don't need those weapons because we are fighting in a jungle at short range, flash forward, but dam we are fighting in an urban environment at short range and don't need the range.

That is just like the guys coming through the course stating we are only fighting in an urban environment and don't need the rural field craft skill sets.

We actually had one student say he thought we needed to practice "running and gunning" more, as in our stress shoot.

The army is all about getting one system and "making due" with it. We need a reliable, modular, NON KAC, system.

My 2 cents.