USMC Begins Process To Issue M27 IAR to Every Rifleman; Issues RFI To Industry

[stanc]

As the Marine Corps continues to emphasize innovation and experiments with new gear, service officials are getting ready to equip a single infantry squad with an enviable range of equipment, from suppressors to polymer drum mags and special operations-issue hearing protection.

It's part of an 18- to 20-month experiment that Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade is calling the "Über Squad."

For this effort, every Marine in the Über Squad will be equipped with an M27; a suppressor; and Ops-Core helmets used by U.S. Special Operations Command with built-in hearing protection systems that muffle noises loud enough to damage eardrums, while magnifying other sounds to maintain troops' situational awareness.

As a bonus, Marines in the squad will be equipped with Magpul 60-round polymer drum magazines.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/...-gear.html

Also from CWO5 Wade:

There is much more to the "Uber Squad" story; most notably the training changes that I must conduct in order to ensure all of the Marines know how to execute all of the combat tasks I've added to them by increasing the capability of their weapons and optics. We are going to install 1-8 variable power optics on their M27's, for one example, and that is going to require more training. Anyone can be the Automatic Rifleman, the Grenadier, the DM, or the Rifleman based on the situation...

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/2003443...#i66668686