M249 light machine gun
| Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Squad automatic weapon/Light machine gun |
| Place of origin | United States (M249 derivative) Belgium |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1984-Present |
| Used by | United States armed forces Lebanon[1] |
The M249 light machine gun is a machine gun which is the U.S. vesion of the Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun, used by the United States and Lebanon. The main use of this weapon is to provide cover fire for other people in the group (the squad) The gun uses 5.56 NATO caliber ammunition.
Overview[change | change source]
The M249 was made because a lot of the squadrons of the U.S. Army did not have fully automatic weapons. It has seen action in every war that the United States has been in since 1989.
Replacement[change | change source]
The M249 is due to be replaced by the German M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle in the U.S. Marines, but the U.S. Army does not plan to buy any M27's, so it will stay in service with them.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Al-Balaa, Nadine; Nina Akel Khalil (15 January 2010) (in Arabic), قائد الجيش أشاد بدقة التنفيذ والتنسيق, Lebanese Armed Forces, http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/article.asp?ln=ar&id=23881, retrieved 15 January 2010
