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| Small Arms Technology has been used to develop lighter ammunition and a lighter machine gun. |
By Eric Kowal
Picatinny Public Affairs
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Any Soldier who has ever served as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner is resigned to the burden of lugging a heavy weapon and ammunition on patrol.
Soldiers may soon have a solution, one that cuts the weight of small arms ammunition nearly in half and provides a potential replacement for the SAW that weighs a whopping 8.3 pounds less than the current M249.
The weight reduction comes in the form of a new light machine gun and ammunition developed by engineers from the Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program.
The program is managed by the Joint Service Small Arms Program, which is part of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal.
"LSAT is all about reducing Soldier load," said Maj. Matt Bowler, a military advisor to the small arms program.
"We know that the Soldier is overburdened," he continued. "The Soldier carries too much weight so anything we can do to reduce Soldier load increases the Soldier's effectiveness, his capability on the battlefield and his survivability."
The weight reduction provided by the LSAT will have a significant impact for the SAW gunner, the most heavily burdened Soldier in the squad.
According to a study conducted in 2005, the average fighting load for the SAW gunner is 79 pounds. That is nearly twice the weight a Soldier should carry, according to Army doctrine.
Excess weight significantly affects the speed of maneuver of the SAW gunner and therefore the entire squad, which relies on suppressive fire from the SAW gunner to support its movement.
So how is such a tremendous weight reduction achieved?
Picatinny Public Affairs
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Any Soldier who has ever served as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner is resigned to the burden of lugging a heavy weapon and ammunition on patrol.
Soldiers may soon have a solution, one that cuts the weight of small arms ammunition nearly in half and provides a potential replacement for the SAW that weighs a whopping 8.3 pounds less than the current M249.
The weight reduction comes in the form of a new light machine gun and ammunition developed by engineers from the Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program.
The program is managed by the Joint Service Small Arms Program, which is part of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal.
"LSAT is all about reducing Soldier load," said Maj. Matt Bowler, a military advisor to the small arms program.
"We know that the Soldier is overburdened," he continued. "The Soldier carries too much weight so anything we can do to reduce Soldier load increases the Soldier's effectiveness, his capability on the battlefield and his survivability."
The weight reduction provided by the LSAT will have a significant impact for the SAW gunner, the most heavily burdened Soldier in the squad.
According to a study conducted in 2005, the average fighting load for the SAW gunner is 79 pounds. That is nearly twice the weight a Soldier should carry, according to Army doctrine.
Excess weight significantly affects the speed of maneuver of the SAW gunner and therefore the entire squad, which relies on suppressive fire from the SAW gunner to support its movement.
So how is such a tremendous weight reduction achieved?
