It is OK now.
MPT will have four variants listed as following;
-Short barrel (12 inch)
-Standarts long barrel variant (16 inch)
-Long barrel sharp shooter (20 inch)
-Heavy barrel, infantry fire support variant...
The U.S marine core switched over to an hk 416 modified as a squad automatic weapon from the m249 saw.
IAR
In 1999, a universal need statement was issued for an Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR). Around 2000, the 1st Marine Division’s
2nd Battalion, 7th Marines Regiment conducted initial limited IAR trials which showed the desire for a light automatic rifle. Experiences in
Iraq and
Afghanistan continued requests for formal recommendations. The universal need statement spent six years going through the procurement process when it was given official program status in early 2005 and capabilities were drawn up.
[5]
The Infantry Automatic Rifle program began on 14 July 2005, when the Marine Corps sought information from manufacturers. Objectives sought by the weapon included: portability and maneuverability; reduction of visual identification of an automatic weapon to the enemy; strengthen the gunner's participation in counter-insurgency situations; and to maintain a high volume of fire. An initial requirement for a 100-round capacity magazine at minimum was dropped in favor of the 30-round STANAG magazine because at the start of testing, available 100-round magazines were unreliable. It had to be 5.56×45mm caliber with non-linked ammunition to be achieve commonality with service rifles.
[6][5]
In 2006, contracts were issued for sample weapons to
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal (providing an
IAR variant of the FN SCAR),
Heckler & Koch (with a
variant of the
HK416), and
Colt Defense, which provided two competing designs. Companies that attempted to compete but were not accepted as finalists for testing include
Land Warfare Resources Corporation, which competed with the
M6A4 IAR,
[7][8] Patriot Ordnance Factory,
[3] and
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products with the
CIS Ultimax 100 MK5 (marketed as the GDATP IAR).
[9]
In December 2009, the Heckler & Koch model beat out the other three finalists, and entered the final five months of testing.
[10][11] It was designated as the M27 in the summer of 2010,
[12] coincidentally sharing a designation with the
M27 link it would not use, but instead it was named after
2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, who were testing with automatic rifles since before September 11, 2001.
[13]
An M27 IAR displayed at the
NDIAJoint Armaments Conference in May 2010.
While
Marine Corps Systems Command was optimistic about operational testing, former
Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway remained skeptical that the reduced firepower at the
fireteam-level was a viable option.
[14] He felt that while less accurate, the M249 was a belt-fed LMG, which an automatic rifle was unlikely to provide fire superiority over. A magazine-fed rifle would have to reload more often and not be able to sustain firing. Squad members that carry additional magazines for the gunner may be in a position unable to supply the IAR during a firefight. Also, the SAW had been battle-proven and the Army was not pursuing the IAR concept.
[5]
After the
Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity supervised a round of testing at
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms,
Fort McCoy, and
Camp Shelby (for dust, cold-weather, and hot-weather conditions, respectively), limited fielding began for 458 IARs to four infantry battalions (one per each
Marine Expeditionary Force and one
reserve) and one
light armored reconnaissance battalion; all of which deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.
[15][16]
In May 2011, General
James Amos of the U.S. Marine Corps approved the termination of a Limited User Evaluation (LUE), and the replacement of the M249 LMG by the M27. Fielding of the approximately 6,500 M27 units is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013, for a cost of $13 million. M27 gunners will be equipped with around 22 of the 30-round magazines already in use with the
M16 and
M4 Carbine. Twenty-two magazines will approximate the prescribed individual combat load of a M249 SAW gunner, and although the M27 gunner is not expected to carry all 22 magazines, they are provided to the units so that a determination can be made at the unit level on what the individual combat load should look like. It will undoubtedly vary by unit, based on the evaluations conducted by the four infantry battalion and one light armored reconnaissance battalion that were issued quantities of the M27 for the LUE. Though program officials are aware that switching from the belt-fed M249 will result in a loss of
suppressive fire capabilities, Charles Clark III, of the Marine Corps' Combat Development and Integration office cites the substantially increased accuracy of the M27 as a significant factor in replacing the M249.
[17]
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia