U.S. Weapons

M4A1

The M4

Carbine

is tracing its roots back to the famous M16 Assault Rifle, and is essentiallya shorter and lighter version of the M16A2 Assault Rifle, sharing 80% of itsparts. The M4A1 can be fired semi or full-auto, unlike the M4 which could only firesemi and 3 round bursts. It fires

5.56

x 45mm NATO ammunition and is a gasoperated,air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire firearm with a telescopic stock. It is

effective to about 150m

with a

maximum range of about 400m

M4A1 w/M203

This is a standard M4A1

carbine

fitted with a M203

40mm

single-shot grenade launcherattached under the barrel. The trigger is just forward of the rifle magazine, whichfunctions as a hand grip when firing the M203. A separate sighting system is added torifles fitted with the M203, as the rifle’s standard sights are not matched to thelauncher. The M203 is capable of firing 5-7 rounds per minute at an

effective distanceof 150m, and maximum range of 400m.

M249

The M249

Squad Automatic Weapon

(SAW) is an air-cooled, fully-automatic-only firearmwhich belongs to a sub-family of the Belgian FN Minimi squad automatic weapon.It fires

5.56

x 45mm NATO ammunition through the top mounted feed tray or M16-type magazines through the side-mounted port. Linked ammunition is the standardmeans of fire, with the ammo being fed from either a loose belt or from a plastic box(or cloth pouch), containing 200 rounds, clipped under the receiver. The M249 SAWfeatures a built-in bipod and a quick change barrel that helps prevent overheatingduring sustained fire. United States military doctrine states

the effective ranges are

600m for a point target, 800m for an area target, 1000m for suppression

, and 3600mas the maximum range.

M110

The M110 SASS (

semi-automatic sniper system

) is the newest long range precisionsniper rifle system in the US Army arsenal. Developed by Knight’s Armament Companyit replaces the older bolt action, single shot M21 and M24 systems. The M110uses 3 different types of ammunition, including military standard

7.62

x 51mm caliberammunition, M118LR long range open tipped ammunition, and the M993 armorpiercing (AP) ammunition. The greater choices available give the operators moreoptions and flexibility for different target types. Military requirements specified thatthe weapon able to provide accurate fire with ranges up to and exceeding 1000m inorder to increase the survivability of the operators while increasing the kill probabilityover previous systems.

M107

The M107 Long Range

Sniper Rifle

is a semi-automatic .50 BMG sniper rifle adopted bythe U.S. Army in the early 2000s. The M107 is used for traditional sniper tasks, butis especially useful for long-range, counter-sniper, and anti-materiel roles comparedto more traditional smaller bore sniper rifles. It has a magazine capacity of 10 roundsand a

maximum effective range of 2000m

M136 AT-4

The M136

AT4

is the US Army’s light, multi-purpose shoulder fired rocket. The M136AT4 is a single shot, disposable recoilless rifleoriginally intended for use by InfantryForces to defeat light armor. More often it is used to defeat hardened infantry fightingpositions. The recoilless rifle design permits accurate delivery of an

84mm

HighExplosive Anti-Armor warhead with negligible recoil. The M136 AT4 is a self-containedweapon consisting of a free-flight, fin-stabilized, rocket-type cartridge packedin an expendable, one-piece, fiberglass-wrapped tube. Though the M136 AT4 can beemployed in limited visibility, the firer must be able to see and identify the target andestimate the range to it. The system’s

tactical engagement range is 250m

and canonly be fired from the right shoulder.

Demo Charge

The M322 Demolition Kit, Rapid Wall Breach, is a man-portable demolition kit thatrapidly creates a man sized hole in triple brick and reinforced concrete walls. M322Kit includes: 3.3m Flexible Linear Shaped Charge, 61m shock tube initiation system,an attachment device to the target, and a carrying bag.

Fragmentation M67

The body of the M-67 hand grenade is a 63.5mm diameter steel sphere designed toburst into numerous fragments when detonated. The grenade body contains 184g of high explosive. Each grenade is fitted with a fuse that activates the explosive chargeand is capable of effectively causing casualties within a range of 15m.

Smoke AN M8 HC White Smoke

This grenade is used to produce dense clouds of white smoke for signaling and screening.

40mm HE M406 Rifle Grenade

This round has an olive drab aluminum skirt with a steel projectile attached, gold markings,and a yellow band. It arms between 14 and 27m, and it produces a ground

burst that causes casualties within a 5m radius.

40mm HEDP M433 Rifle Grenade

High-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) round. This round has an olive drab aluminumskirt with a steel cup attached, white markings, and a gold band; it penetrates atleast 5cm when fired straight at steel armor. It arms between 14 and 27m and cancause casualties within a 5m radius.

Javelin Anti-Tank missile system

The Javelin is a manportable, fire-and-forget, antitank missile employed by dismountedinfantry to defeat current and future threat armored combat vehicles. It is the onlyAT missile in use with ground troops that does not require tracking of the target aftermissile launch. The Javelin’s range of approximately 2500m is more than twice thatof its predecessor, the Dragon, and has secondary capabilities against helicoptersand ground-fighting positions. It is equipped with an infrared imaging (I2R) systemand a fire-and-forget guided missile. The Javelin’s normal engagement mode is topattackto penetrate the tank’s most vulnerable armor, though it can also fire indirect-attack mode to engage targets with overhead cover or with greater verticalvulnerability. Its “soft launch” allows employment from within buildings and enclosedfighting positions. The soft launch signature limits the gunner’s exposure to the enemy,thus increasing survivability.The Javelin consists of a missile in a disposable launch tube and a reusable CommandLaunch Unit (CLU). The CLU houses the trigger mechanism, an integrated day/nightsighting device for surveillance and target acquisition, built-in test capabilities, andassociated electronics. The CLU, powered by a disposable battery, provides the capabilityfor battlefield surveillance, target acquisition, missile launch, and damageassessment.The round consists of a disposable launch tube assembly, battery coolant unit (BCU),and the missile. Missile range is generally considered to be around 2000 to 2500m,though the missile is capable of hitting targets much farther way than that. Thelimiting factor is the CLU’s screen resolution which makes it difficult to discern targetsat ranges greater than 2500m. The missile locks on to the target before launch usingan infrared focal plane array and on-board processing, which also maintains targettrack and guides the missile to the target after launch. A full-up system weighs22.5kg.

M240B MG w/tripod

The M240B is a ground or vehicle mounted, gas-operated, crew-served machinegun.This

7.62mm

machine gun delivers more energy to the target than the smaller caliberM249 SAW. It is the standard medium weight machinegun of US military forces.It has an

effective range of 1800m for area targets and 800m against point targets.

BRITISH FORCES WEAPONS

The SA80 family

The SA80 is the designation used for a family of assault weapons. The SA80 A2 familyincludes the Individual Weapon (IW) or L85A2, and the Light Support Weapon (LSW)or L86A2. These are the British Army’s standard combat weapons that fire NATOstandard

5.56

x 45mm ammunition. They can be fitted with a number of sights, suchas the SUSAT and a Common Weapon Sight (CWS), which is a third generationImage Intensification (II) night sight. It is a very accurate weapon and it is interestingto note that when it was first introduced in the British Army it was so accurate that anew marksmanship test had to be designed for it.One distinguishing feature of the rifle is its “bullpup” layout, with a forward-mountedpistol grip. One advantage of this type of design is that the overall length of the rifleis reduced without compromising the barrel length. The SA80 has an overall lengthshorter than the M4 Carbine, but the barrel length is longer than the M16.

L85A2

This is the standard most common variant of the SA80 family. It weighs 4.98 kg, hasa length of 785mm, a 30-round magazine and an effective range of

400m.

L85A2-new

This is an upgraded version also included in this module. It includes ACOG sights, a newhandguard incorporating Picatinny rails, a hand grip/bipod, and a new vortex styleflash hider.

L85A2 with UGL

The Underslung

Grenade Launcher is an AG-36 40 mm

grenade launcher in a configurationsimilar to the M203 grenade launcher of the US.The UGL system has low recoil, reduced ammunition weight and the ability to have achambered grenade at the ready whilst continuing to fire the SA80.

L86A2 LSW

It has a longer barrel than the L85, as well as a bipod, buttstrap and rear pistol grip. Italso has a different design for the handguard. With a longer barrel it allows for anincreased muzzle velocity and further stabilises the bullet, giving it a greater effectiverange. Its role is to provide fire support at a fireteam level but recently the LSW hasshifted to that of a marksman’s weapon within many infantry sections, capable of providing extremely accurate precision fire at ranges of over

600m.

L22A2

Carbine version of the SA80. It has a 442mm barrel. The forward handguard has beenreplaced with a vertical grip. These carbine variants are used in small numbers byvehicle crews.

L110A1

The British Army uses the Belgian

5.56mm

FN Minimi Para in the role of a light machinegun (LMG). Each fireteam is equipped with one. It provides the section commanderwith the capability to impose sustained suppressive fire onto an objective out to

300m

and increases the overall firepower available to the section commander.The Minimi is an air-cooled automatic weapon, capable of fully automatic fire only, thatuses a gas piston operating system with a short-stroke piston.

L7A2 (7.62mm GPMG)

The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a

7.62

x 51mm belt-fed generalpurpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire(SF) role.In the SF role,

mounted on a tripod

and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by atwo-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to providebattalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down200 (sustained rate) rounds-per-minute at ranges

up to 1,800 metres

.The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun. A foldoutbipod is used to support the GPMG in the light role. Versions of the GPMG aremounted on most Army vehicles as well.

L111A1 Browning (.50 cal HMG)

The powerful L1A1

12.7mm

(.50) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is an updated version of the Browning M2 ’50-cal’ - recognised as one of the finest heavy machine guns everdeveloped.The HMG provides integral close-range support, e.g. when fitted to a light off-roadvehicle using the Weapons Mount Installation Kit (WMIK) and a variety of sightingsystems. The performance of the HMG has recently been enhanced with a new ‘softmount’ (to limit recoil and improve accuracy) and a quick-change barrel (QCB).HMG range:1500-2000m.

L134A1 (GMG)

The Heckler & Koch

40mm Grenade Machine Gun

(GMG) provides unrivalled infantrysuppression combining the best characteristics of the heavy machine guns or lightmortars usually employed in this role. Conventional rifle ammunition provides nofragmentation effect and is largely not effective enough against advancing armouredinfantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks. On the other hand, mortars have thedisadvantage of a relatively low rate of fire. The GMG combines the advantages of both of these two types of weapons delivering high flexibility and firepower combinedwith the fragmentation effect of mortar ammunition. The GMG is usuallymounted on WMIK (weapons mount installation kit) vehicles but can also be usedfrom ground-based tripods

L2A1 (ILAW)

Is an AT4 CS

(Confined Space) version with a high penetration warhead used by theBritish Army. This version uses a saltwater countermass in the rear of the launcher toabsorb the back blast—the resulting spray captures and dramatically slows down thepressure wave, allowing troops to fire from enclosed areas.It gives infantry units a means

to destroy or disable armoured vehicles and fortifications.

It is usually not sufficient to defeat a modern main tank though. The launcherand projectile are manufactured prepacked and issued as a single unit of ammunition,rather than as a weapon system, with the launcher discarded after a

single use.

The AT4 requires little training and is quite simple to use, making it suitable forgeneral issue

. Range: 300m.

LASM

The Light Anti-Structures Missile (LASM) is an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)which has been fielded to fill a capability gap until Anti-Structure Munition (ASM)comes into service. It is an enhanced blast weapon with a larger warhead than thestandard M72 LAW. The single-shot weapon consists of a free-flight unguided rocketthat is housed within a disposable telescopic launcher. The mechanical ‘pop-up’ sightis integral to the weapon and deploys when the launcher is extended, in preparing itto fire.The rocket consists of a warhead, fuse and propulsion unit. Spring-loaded fins deployon firing to stabilise the rocket in flight. The rocket uses kinetic energy to penetratestructures before the warhead is allowed to detonate. Range: up to 500m.