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USMC To Replace M249 SAW with M27 IAR
Marines will soon be bidding a fond farewell to the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, more affectionately known as the M249 SAW. According to Marine Corps Times, it looks like all infantry battalions will be fielding the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle by the end of next year.
“Leaders recently awarded a contract worth up to $23.6 million with the maker of the 5.56mm machine gun, Heckler & Koch Defense of Ashburn, Va.,” reports the Marine Corps Times article. “The company plans to begin delivering more than 3,600 IARs to the Corps early next year, said Robert Reidsma, who oversees the IAR program for HK.”
[Photo by Rob Curtis]
As part of the experimental fielding phase, 458 weapons were delivered starting late last year. For upwards of 10 years there has been arguments for replacing the belt-fed M249 SAW. While packing quite the proverbial punch, it’s heavier and not as accurate as the M27 IAR.
Over this summer, Commandant Gen. Jim Amos approved full fielding. The IAR will replace the M249 SAW for all Marine rifle squads and light armored reconnaissance scout sections. “In conventional infantry battalions, virtually every four-man fire team will have an IAR, with three per squad, 28 per company and up to 4,476 across the Corps, Marine officials said,” continues the article.
The IAR will be fielded with 30-round magazines and MantaRail rail guards will be incorporated. While some have voiced concerns over firepower, military officials state that the auto-rifle’s positives far outweigh the negatives. The M27 IAR is more accurate and “improves automatic rifleman and small-unit lethality, mobility and survivability,” said 1st Lt. Jamie Larson, spokesperson for the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Va.
Do you think the IAR is more fitting for Marine use than the SAW?
(6) Readers Comments
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Nelson
As a Marine Infantryman that has both fired this weapon, carried a M249 for a deployment, and teach both weapon systems employment.:
I myself was a naysayer, until I shot the weapon at 5M to 1000M. But most importantly 5M to 550M.
Suppression is defined as:temporary or transient degradation by an oppossing force of the performance of a weapon system below the level needed to fulfill its mission objectives.
-In short, deny the enemy the ability to effect friendlies IOT allow them to accomplish their objective. e.g. manuever, bypass, etc.
1) The M27 accomplishes this by accuraccy of fire vice volume of fire. It’s ability to deliver accurate fire rapid fire at a distance, and accurate automatic rifle fire within 150m, allows the fire team to quickly manuever. Now we have a weapon that allows for our AR to seamlessly integrate with the rest of team. Instead of slowing it by either, lack of ability or the 3 rifles having to suppress IOT allow the M249 to move.
2) The Marine Corps does not need to “update” their tactics around a automatic rifle. The fire team in the U.S. was brought about by Col Carlson and his raiders during WW2, using ideas from China and Marines in the Banana Wars. A group of men comprised of a BAR, a Thompson, and 2 Garands. 1 Garand had the M-7 or M-8 GL attachement (depending of if he carried a carbine or rifle). The combine arms concept at the small unit level was born, and quickly forgetten until after the Vietnam War. The BAR allow for automatic suppression during trench to trench fighting (within 150M) and accurate fires at distance.
The Marine Corps is simply returning to a true Automatic Rifleman, that achieves suppression by hitting his TGT whether on semi or automatic.
Jking
I fired the IAR it is a super accurate weapon system. The 5.56 will fire much farther than 500 yards. Ive seen it done. It does lack stopping power and will have trouble penetrating plates but with this weapon you will have know trouble putting several rounds into a small area such as a chest which would brake down the armor and penetrate threw it. I do think it need a bigger mag and from what I hear there working on that.
Joe
Seems like a trade of suppression for accuracy. While the SAW was great for getting lots of rounds down range the IAR will allow for an alternative of one member of the squad to “reach out and touch” the enemy. The Marines will have to update there tactics to accommodate the change in weaponry. My thinking is that we should be more “sneaky Sons o guns” anyway. All in all the bottom line is more control and accountability of each round.
ernie rains
the 5.56 is a useless round for urban warfare. it has little penetration power,and the weight is not a factor with competant resupply. the max range is 500 yards, and can be stopped by conventional body armor with plates. In the next battlefield “The Suburban landscape” will require both distance and desrtuctive firepower. that which the 5.56 lacks. Let us not tkink of today but the future battlefield.
Anonymous
This isn’t a dum idea, in fact, it’s genious. Heckler & Koch is an amazing firearms manufacturer; I consider nearly every one of their firearms to be better than all others. This does not fall short with the M27 IAR, either. The HK416 is a very good platform, and will be a nice transition because it has M16/M4 controls. Being so, soldiers will only need to be trained with a standard M4/M16/HK416 and they will be able to fully utilize the M27 IAR. The magazine is no problem either. In fact, it’s better than an ammo belt. Ammo belts tangle and are harder to carry than magazines. M4/M16/HK416 magazines (I believe they are called STANAG or something along those lines) can hold the standard 30 rounds, but there are magazines designed to hold 60 rounds, and Beta-C magazines hold 100 rounds. Isn’t 100 rounds the amount of ammunition on the M249′s ammunition belt? And with Beta-C magazines, the same amount of ammo a belt would have can be replaced into the firearm many times faster, saving the lives of more Marines. Overall, a more familiar system, magazine feeding, more accuracy, and longetivity and reliability in the gun makes this one of the best calls the U.S. has made in many a year.
Adam Root
Dumbest idea I have heard in years! Replacing a belt felt support weapon with a mag fed rifle is pointless. I agree that the HK416 is a far superior weapon than the standard issue M4 platform and that it would make sense to replace the standard issue rifle with it, but the purpose of belt felt squad weapons is SUSTAINED suppressive fire. Having a weapon that needs to change mags as often as every other rifle negates the support role. This is going to get more Marines killed than saved. Bad call all the way around.