MAJ Ehrhart - Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afgh.

[kaur]

The Improved Carbine is intended as a no holds barred look at individual small arms in the carbine class. Despite rumors that the Improved Carbine and Squad Individual Marksman variant would share the same requirements document, possibly also with the Personal Defense Weapon, this is not the case. They needed to be broken down into separate requirements although it is possible that the Individual Carbine and Squad Individual Marksman weapons may end up relying on a common weapon. The PDW is a bit more problematic due to the Army’s desired characteristics for the weapon. The Army wants to purchase about 500,000 of the new carbines and has stipulated that they will own the Technical Data Package so that they can award production contracts for the type selected to more than one manufacturer.

http://soldiersystems.net/2010/04/12...my-small-arms/

[JMA]

http://soldiersystems.net/2010/04/12...my-small-arms/

Can we weigh all these changes against this...

"We trained hard . . . but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization." Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.

[Sylvan]

Can we weigh all these changes against this...

"We trained hard . . . but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization." Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.

A false attribution.
But an apt quote.

[JMA]

A false attribution.
But an apt quote.

and the correct attribution is?

[Ken White]

LINK.

The all knowing seem to constantly stumble over small things. Amazing..

The false attribution to P. Arbiter is deemed due to the fact that no one likes to credit Americans with capability for original thought. S'Okay, we're used to it and don't mind a bit...

[JMA]

LINK.

The all knowing seem to constantly stumble over small things. Amazing..

The false attribution to P. Arbiter is deemed due to the fact that no one likes to credit Americans with capability for original thought. S'Okay, we're used to it and don't mind a bit...

Charlton Ogburn, "Merrill's Marauders", thank you I stand corrected.

Now "Merrill's Marauders" was some outfit!

Distinguished Unit Citation: "The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill's_Marauders

We need some more of that derring-do in the current conflicts.

[jmm99]

reading the results of such derring-do at breakfast, would become very upset by the casualties - from the Wiki:

A week after Myitkyina fell, on August 10, 1944, the 5307th was disbanded with a final total of 130 combat-effective officers and men (out of the original 2,997). Of the 2,750 to enter Burma, only 2 were left alive who had never been hospitalized with wounds or major illness.

The cost to the Chindits was as great, but did generate at least two good books by Chindit brigadiers - Bidwell, Shelford (1979). The Chindit war : the campaigns in Burma, 1944. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC 221110416; and Masters, John (2002) [1961]. The Road Past Mandalay. London: Cassel. ISBN 0304361577.

While the campaign exemplified bravery and courage under impossible conditions, its long-term strategic goals never came close to being realized - and a lot of good men were killed for little lasting purpose.

Regards

Mike

[Ken White]

We need some more of that derring-do in the current conflicts.

derring do, no question -- but on balance, they were only marginally effective militarily and what little they did achieve was at excessive cost. I've talked to several former members and most were and are quite proud of their service but have little good to say about the efforts overall effectiveness.

Different time. While daring action occurs on a small scale and locally today, it is not broadly tolerated in the west. Those days are gone, they were killed off by the politically correct movements of the 70s and are highly unlikely to return short of a major, existential war. Risk avoidance is all too prevalent today, a societal (and thus quite difficult to reverse), not a military impact.

[William F. Owen]

http://soldiersystems.net/2010/04/12...my-small-arms/

Sorry, I just don't see the problem. These problems are entirely self-inflicted and not symptomatic of any real operational problem. The problem is people and stupid ideas.

You need a rifle/Individual weapon - easy! - we can do that. What's the problem?