Grendel LMG

[Buck2732]

This is something that has been doing the rounds over my side of the pond as well. Though from a slightly different angle. We ended the second WW with a mag fed LMG (BREN) and a a heavy MG (Vickers) both were kept until we adopted 7.62. Then the LMG was converted to 7.62 and eventually relegated to support arms, though some inf units kept them on. We adopted the FN MAG and fettled with it to make it our own (GPMG). When the dust (or should that be peat settled) after the Falklands operation. Our small unit tactics, were up revised. One of the lessons learned was that units that took both the LMG and GPMG in their sections had an easier time suppressing the enemy and winning the fire fight.

So when we adopted the 5.56 each 8 man section had two LSWs each gunner had 9x30rnd mags and extra mags carried through out the section. The ammo scale ended up at 15x30rnd mags per LSW. Fast forward a few years, units started to add the GPMG back in to the section organisation, as there was a distinct lack of sustained covering fire from the LSWs. So now we had a mix of ammo in the section 7.62 and 5.56. We eventually gave up the GPMGs and moved them to a dedicated fire support group. We replace the LSW and GPMG with what we call the LMG (FN Minimi).

So we have gone Mag, belt, mag and back to belt. The decision by the USMC to go to the IAR to us looks like a retrograde step.