The most common squad automatic weapons in use today are derived from two basic patterns: the Kalashnikov-based RPK or the purpose-designed FN Minimi. Light machine guns, either belt-fed or magazine-fed, may be used as squad automatic weapons, as may general-purpose machine guns for example, during most of the Cold War period, the standard squad automatic weapon in the British Army was the FN Mag-derived L7. Instead, the 7.62mm caliber MG74, a derivative of WW2-era German MG 42, is issued. However, the Austrian Army, though issuing the Steyr AUG rifle, does not issue the HBAR (heavy barrel) variant. In the case of some assault rifles, such as the H&K G36 or Steyr AUG, the SAW is simply the standard rifle with a few parts replaced. FN FAL 50.41 and M14A1) that may have increased ammunition capacity and heavier barrels to withstand continued fire and will almost always have a bipod. Modern squad automatic weapons (such as the RPK and L86) are modified assault rifles or battle rifles (e.g. These weapons are light enough to be carried and operated by one infantryman, unlike medium machine guns (such as the M1919 Browning) that require a crew to operate at full effectiveness or heavy machine guns (such as the M2 Browning or the DShK) which fire more powerful cartridges but are also crew-served and typically also require a mounting platform to be operable. This reduces logistical requirements by making it only necessary to supply one type of service ammunition to a unit. Squad automatic weapons usually fire the same cartridge (though heavier- bullet variants are preferred) as the assault rifles or battle rifles carried by other members of the unit. Weapons fulfilling this role can be light machine guns, or modified selective-fire rifles fitted with a heavier barrel, bipod and a belt/ drum-fed design. marine in clearing an RPK, a squad automatic weapon variant of the AKM.Ī squad automatic weapon ( SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon ( LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower.
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