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U.S. Marine Corps Looking Into Adopting A New 5.56mm Round

Logan

With the U.S. Army looking into the 7.62mm round as the new standard round and might require a new rifle, the U.S. Marine Corps still will be with the 5.56mm round. According to Janes, it is looking into the SOCOM MK 318 MOD 1 round and the U.S. Army M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR).

New body armor being used by potential enemies of the United States may just make the present M855 round that the USMC obsolete. The U.S. Senators are concerned with this proliferation of body armor that can stop the M855 round in a hearing last June 6.

U.S. Army M855A1 Enhanced Perfomance Round (U.S. Army Photo)

The Marines are already using the M855A1 EPR in Afghanistan and according to the Lt. General Robert Walsh though it is said to be posing problems with the M27 IAR, based on the Heckler & Koch HK416 rifle that has been made to the specifications of the USMC and is partially used as  a support weapon by the Marines instead of using the M249 as a support weapon. Still, the U.S. Marines might go with the U.S. Army round as they found it more capable and can penetrate personal body armor.

As for the MK 318 MOD 1, what the USMC likes about the round is that is more accurate than the M855 round.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jonathan Boynes)

One thing that both the U.S. Army and the USMC face is the U.S. Congress, which for the 2017 Budget is insisting for both the adopt a common round. This makes sense from a budgetary point of view as it can lead to lower costs in procuring a single type of ammunition and that lawmaker see that maintaining different ammo caches is wasteful and inefficient. But of course, whatever it takes for the soldiers to accomplish their mission is what is more important and that is determined by these organizations.

According to the Marine Times, the USMC will be wrapping up their tests with the M855A1 EPR next month.

 

Top photo: LAR 11MEU (USMC Photo)

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