RE: [DS] Specialist Elements

>From: "Glover, Owen" <oglover@museum.vic.gov.au>
>Reply-To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
>To: "'gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU'" <gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
>Subject: RE: [DS] Specialist Elements
>Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 11:30:03 +1000
>

,
>
>Forgive me if I sound like I'm lecturing here :-)

If it quacks like a duck...

>When looking a particular countries published docrtine for employment
of a
>weapon you do need to be a little careful and consider more than a
single
>written statement.

Point well taken.  My point was that the role of the M240 in US service
WAS 
described as slightly different as that of the SAW. Also, it's not the
only 
source I read (I shall never cease to regret that I cannot learn by
serving, 
only by asking, listening, and reading. I was not graced with a medical 
history eligible for military service.)  But now that I've digressed,
let me 
consider another source:  Tom Clancy wrote an interesting book called 
Marine, which delves into the structure of an MEU(SOC).  Much of what he

says when he gives his OPINION is, admiteddly, a bit jingoistic. But he
also 
gives some nuts-and-bolts descriptions of force makeup. Accordingly, a
basic 
fire team (Roughly a DS rifle element), is a leader with an M16/M203
combo, 
two M16 riflemen, and an M249 SAW gunner.  M240's are included at the 
company level, in the heavy weapons platoon, as support MG's - read
APSW.

>Also you really shouldn't just consider a weapon caliber
>as defining it's role nor just it's rate of fire.....

True, but combined, those two attributes ARE a good starting point....
add 
range, penetration, and reliability, and you're well on your way.

>Oh, the Commonwealth Section is the equivalent US Squad

So about 12 men?

>Consider -
>
>Tracer burnout is 1100 meters, for the range of 1800m you will find the
>weapon needs to be tripod mounted (without C2 site) and requires a
spotter,
>preferably one close to the target. Trying to spot fall of shot at 1800
is
>nigh impossible with 7.62 ammo. With C2 Site (or equiv) the Effective
Range
>is extended to 2,500 to 3,000m.
>
>In bipod role role both the MAG58 and Minimi (240/249) have an
effective
>range of 500 to 600m. Effective SECTION/SQUAD fire is 500m with
>M16A2/Steyr/SA80. In the bipod role the No2/Asst Gunner on a MAG58 is
quite
>free to fire his own rifle during a fire fight except for the times the
MG
>has a stoppage. in the tripod role it is a different story.

OK, so we equip it with a tripod and superior sights - voila! APSW! 
Which 
was my point - it is not necessarily relegated to being the organic SAW
of 
an element in DSII.  Again, this supports my OTHER point that with
rounds as 
divergent in range and damage capavity as 5.56 mm all the way up to .50
cal 
(and even 14.5 mm if we include the good ol' KPV), having only the
oorganic 
SAW and APSW categories is a bit too broad.

>I'd suggest you look at how a weapon is employmed rather than just
straight
>capabiliites. So, at Coy Level with Tripod MAG58/240 is APSW but in a
Team
>it is just a SAW.

This is slightly different than your original blanket statement that the

M240 is not an APSW (No qualifier about it's mounting was added at that 
time).	Although I do have to say that this is finally a statement I CAN

agree with.

>So, you see there is no SEAMLESS port from SG to DS nor 20C to 22C
combat.

Nor, it would seem, from RL to DS...

Brian B
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