General Dynamics unveils new machine gun
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has unveiled a next-generation Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) at the Joint Armaments Conference in Seattle, US. The company believes the new weapon will close current operational gaps, according to a 16 May, 2012 statement.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products developed the weapon under its own research and development programme in just over one year. It is designed for ‘low-cost production and for maximum effectiveness at the small unit level, where weight and lethality are decisive factors’.
The company said that the LWMMG will close a ‘current operational gap, providing .50 calibre-like firepower in range and effect at the same weight and size of currently fielded 7.62mm machine guns’. The company stated that it also offers ‘a distinct advantage in both extended and close-in fighting by using the highly efficient .338 Norma Magnum cartridge for increased accuracy and lethality out to 1,700 meters, a distance currently gapped in the operational capabilities of warfighters.’
The LWMMG has a firing rate of 500 rounds per minute, a maximum range of 5,642 meters, and is equipped with quick-change barrel technology. In addition to use by dismounted infantry and on ground vehicles, the weapon can be used as the armament system aboard helicopters and littoral craft, providing greater range and effectiveness for those platforms.
More from Land Warfare
-
![First UK-made British Army Boxer rolled out]()
First UK-made British Army Boxer rolled out
The first batch of 623 Boxer ordered were built in Germany with the majority of the work now done in West Midlands and North-East Wales.
-
![Bidders for the British Army Land Mobility Programme stir as the process begins]()
Bidders for the British Army Land Mobility Programme stir as the process begins
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) is seen as vital for both the British Army and local industry as it is worth billions-of-dollars for thousands of vehicles.
-
![South Korea to develop long-range interceptor for Iron Dome by 2028]()
South Korea to develop long-range interceptor for Iron Dome by 2028
Around US$329 million will be spent on the development of the interceptor which will work to protect national and military facilities from the threat of North Korean artillery.
-
![Germany places $342 million for Rheinmetall logistics trucks]()
Germany places $342 million for Rheinmetall logistics trucks
The trucks are being ordered within a framework agreement concluded in July 2024 which covers the delivery of up to 6,500 trucks worth up to €3.5 billion (US$3.6 billion).
-
![Kongsberg Defence Australia to supply control stations to Poland under $12 million deal]()
Kongsberg Defence Australia to supply control stations to Poland under $12 million deal
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defence System (CDS) command and control (C2) console is derived from the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System air defence console currently in service with the Australian Army,
