I've seen elsewhere that the Marine Corps is looking to adopt a true automatic rifle; heavy barrel, magazine fed, firing from an open bolt. This is partly because the M249 SAWs are wearing out and partly because they've never truly been comfortable with a belt fed light machine gun in the AR role at fire team level.

However, it seems they want to keep a light machine gun at some level in addition to adopting an AR. They evaluated two alternate platoon and squad organizations for AR and SAW employment. The traditional 13 man squad was used in both test organizations.

The first test organization kept the SAW at squad level but moved them all to one fire team. The squad's two remaining fire teams each had an AR.

The second test organization consolidated all the platoon's SAWs into an LMG squad. The remaining two rifle squads had one AR in each fire team.

The Marine Corps felt the first organization evaluated better overall but the second organization proved better at MOUT. The AR equipped rifle squads were able to gain entry to a building easier under the massed suppressive fire put out by an LMG squad. Once inside, the squads with only ARs were more effective at room clearing.

Since a platoon might go from urban to rural - and back again - within a short period of time which would you prefer? A SAW heavy team in each squad or a SAW heavy squad in the platoon?