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Ausserdem ist das Ding von Armatac Industries, nicht von HK, Colt oder FN.

With several months of testing ahead, the decision isn't considered final, but it makes the H&K model the clear front-runner in the competition.

Aufkommen: HK wollte möglichst einfach Geld verdienen.

Ableben: Ein G36 mit Zweibein und C-Mag erfüllt quasi die gleiche Funktion. Der einzige wesentliche mir bekannte Unterschied ist der Lauf. Was Visierung, Tragegriff, Handschutz,... betrifft ist das ja alles beliebig austauschbar.

Soldatenlatein wie Hydrostatischer Schock? Verbotene G11?

Jo, das was übrig blieb waren die C-Mags.

Corps can move ahead with IAR testing

Protest from competitor dismissed
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 22, 2010 8:26:47 EST

Congressional investigators have sided with the Marine Corps in a dispute over the service’s infantry automatic rifle program, calling the competition fair and clearing the way for the service to choose its preferred weapon.

Weapons maker FN Herstal protested the Corps’ Oct. 23 decision to eliminate the company from the competition on grounds that its IAR failed to meet requirements in testing, according to a Dec. 15 report by the Government Accountability Office obtained by Marine Corps Times. The Corps ultimately chose the IAR made by Heckler & Koch, spurning FN and Colt Defense, which competed two weapons for the contract.

The IAR competition is not considered complete, however, as the Corps intends to perform more tests on H&K’s weapon throughout the year ahead. H&K’s weapon was chosen in a “down-select,” meaning that while the Corps will continue assessing it, there are no guarantees H&K will supply the 4,100 IARs the Corps plans to buy.

All four 5.56mm weapons tested carry 30-round magazines and were viewed as possible replacements for many of the M249 squad automatic weapons the Corps has fielded since the 1980s. The preferred H&K model is a variant of the HK416 assault rifle, which uses a spring-buffered short-stroke gas-piston system and is the sole finalist that fires only from the closed-bolt position.

In its protest, FN claimed that during tests its weapon’s barrel “was infected by copper residue,” effectively skewing the results, according to the GAO. FN, maker of the SAW, also blamed the Corps for failing to properly tighten the pistol grips that fell off two of its three test models during extreme cold-weather trials conducted at minus-25 degrees.

The specifics of FN’s protest shifted throughout November and December as the company and the Corps sought to bolster their cases, the GAO said. FN “abandoned its initial protest argument that the [Corps] may not have performed required regular maintenance,” the GAO said. After reviewing additional documents provided by the Corps, the company protested on several other grounds, including that the Corps was mistaken in saying more than one FN pistol grip fell off and that the grips from other companies in the competition also fell off and were not similarly rejected.

“These arguments … constitute independent grounds of protest,” GAO acting general counsel Lynn Gibson wrote in the report. “Since the basis of protest stems from the protester’s review of the [Marine Corps] test report and other documents … we find the arguments raised in FN’s comments to be untimely.”

The GAO hasn’t said whether FN’s later complaints were legitimate or investigated. Company officials with FN and H&K did not respond to requests for comment. Capt. Geraldine Carey, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Systems Command, said the Corps would not comment on FN’s protest.

The service has ordered 24 more H&K IARs to be tested in locations ranging from Panama to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in California, Marine officials have said.

Eventually, the Corps plans reduce the number of SAWs in the service from about 10,000 to 8,000 as it rolls out the IAR. Each infantry company will retain six SAWs to employ as the tactical situations dictate, but the IAR will replace the SAW in many patrol situations, Marine officials have said.

Corps may field infantry auto-rifle this fall

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 19, 2010 8:19:50 EDT

The Marine Corps could be ready to order large quantities of the front-runner in its infantry automatic rifle competition this fall, but only if the commandant is convinced it’s a good idea.

The weapon has been in operational testing since January, and Marine officials overseeing the program hope “to get a full-rate production decision” once the results are reviewed, said Col. Andrew Bianca, head of infantry weapons acquisition at Marine Corps Systems Command.

Speaking to defense contractors April 6 in Baltimore, Bianca said the IAR’s development hinges in part on whether “everything works out” during testing.

“One of the big things that we’ve been doing — and most of you have probably read about it — is the infantry automatic rifle,” he told the group, gathered at SysCom’s 2010 Advanced Planning Brief to Industry.

“It’s a look at going back to the true automatic rifle and replacing the [M249] squad automatic weapon within the infantry squads and the light-armored reconnaissance scout teams.”

A decision to field the 5.56mm auto-rifle won’t be made unless Commandant Gen. James Conway is “satisfied that the IAR is the right weapon for the Marine Corps,” said Barbara Hamby, a SysCom spokeswoman.

Development of the 5.56mm IAR has been ongoing for years and widely discussed throughout the Corps. Marine officials intend to buy about 4,100 auto-rifles while reducing the number of SAWs from 11,381 to about 8,000.


Pros and cons

Conway has said that reducing the number of belt-fed, 5.56mm SAWs and their 200-round firepower could hurt a small unit’s ability to establish fire superiority.

Proponents of the auto-rifle program say its lightweight, 12½-pound design will improve accuracy, especially while on the move in a firefight. But some grunts worry about trading in the SAW for a rifle with a 30-round magazine.

Conway told reporters in December that replacing the SAW would be difficult in part because the weapon gives Marines a psychological advantage. Another hurdle, he said, would be convincing Congress to fund the IAR while the Army continues using the SAW.

“It’s a big deal when you start changing how a Marine infantry squad fights,” Conway said. “I’m going to have to be convinced that we’re making the right move before we start to purchase another system and change that whole dynamic.”

Marine officials are now testing Heckler & Koch’s IAR, after selecting it as its preferred option in October and ordering 24 additional weapons for testing. It beat out three other finalists, including two models from Colt Defense LLC, maker of the M4 carbine, and one from FN Herstal, maker of the SAW. The H&K model is a variant of its HK416 assault rifle, which uses a spring-buffered short-stroke gas piston system, and is the sole finalist that fires only from the closed-bolt position.

Testing has taken place in a variety of austere conditions and will continue through June. The results will be analyzed before any decision is made, and reviewed by both Conway and Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, SysCom’s commander.

The first USMC M27 IAR's (HK416's) will likely see field/combat use sooner than expected (@ 6 months in fact) as part of a planned final user assessment. Some will also be interested to know that the Marine Corps ran a recent test that showed that the IAR gunner can actually maintain a rate of fire equal to or higher than the M249 SAW gunner due to the speed of magazine reloading versus belt reloading, especially when on the move and at night. That being said they are still interested in/looking for a high capacity magazine for the IAR and expect to get one down stream. Combine this new IAR with the new SOST round and watch out! First time out with a well worn HK416 IAR test gun and standard trigger the winning USMC Service Rifle Champion shot a 590 out of 600. He won the USMC Matches with a 587 using a tricked out M16A2 and his personal best for that event is 593. Not to bad for a series production automatic rifle.

The fielding plan release laid out the SL-3 for the M27 below...

Associated Weapons Systems and Equipment will consist of:

M27 IAR
Squad Day Optic (SDO)
3-pt combat sling
Grip Pod cleaning Kit
TM 11810A-OR
10 x Government Issue Aluminum Magazines

Basic AARs are coming in from NCOs who are getting their hands on the IAR, as part of the limited fielding plan, and beginning the process of incorporating them into the unit pre-deployment training cycles. I got this from our Gunner, who got it in turn from another Gunner. This is from a Sgt...The comment about the gripod being less than desirable is not surprising.


1. Initial impression of IAR: I was very skeptical because I am used to the SAW, I loved the firepower of a belt fed weapon in the squad. After seeing and shooting the IAR I was amazed; I have never seen Marines shoot that well with a rifle. I think it should replace the m-4/m-16. Still think we need one SAW per squad, unless there was a 50 round plus capacity the IAR should absolutely replace the SAW; the weapon is incredible.

2. Functionality of the IAR- Easier to train the Marines on the IAR vs the SAW because it is familiar. IAR is much lighter and easier to manipulate because it is familiar to every Marine. The IAR is just like the M-16 in design so every Marine instantly understands it. When I shot and the IAR and PSO’ed for a dozen Marines I witnessed no stoppages or malfunctions.

3. Cleaning, Care, and Maintenance: Cleaning was very easy because all of the carbon was up near the gas port of the piston. It only took us 15 to 20 minutes to clean them even though we fired more than 700 rounds that day.

4. The only change I would make would be a better bipod that provides more stability to the weapon and allows for adjustments in height.

I think it should replace the m-4/m-16. Still think we need one SAW per squad, unless there was a 50 round plus capacity the IAR should absolutely replace the SAW; the weapon is incredible.

Ein Schelm wer böses dabei denkt...
Wer hätte gedacht, dass bei der ganzen Geschichte schnell solche Ideen aufkommen.
Das USMC ist halt kreativ, wenn es um die Beschaffung von Waffen ohne Ausschreibung geht (M240).

Geht wahrscheinlich eher um Politik und Geld, als um die Sache selbst.

Wie lädt man so ein vierreihiges Magazin? Ich kann mir das irgendwie nicht vorstellen.

USMC M27 IAR to enter full Marine Corps Fielding

It was announced this week that the US Marine Corps has decided to fully field @ 4700 H&K HK416/USMC M27 IAR's within its ranks. Officials described the weapons performance in the hands of the troops ate "simply incredible". It gets high marks for accuracy, reliability and overall performnance in the intended role of a lightweight, highly portable Infantry Automatic Rifle.

Böse Zungen behaupten, die Waffe würde nur eingeführt, um den Rest der Streitkräfte bei der Beschaffung des M4 Ersatzes quasi vor vollendete Tatsachen zu stellen. Das IAR entspricht in seiner Masse und Abmessungen mehr oder weniger einem M16A4, so dass es eigentlich keinen Grund gäbe, NICHT jeden "Rifleman" einer Gruppe Marineinfanterie damit aus zu rüsten