Follow-Up: Army Reviewing Complaints Over Bullets
About a week ago we brought you the debate over the size ammunition being used in today’s war(s), against a new type of enemy.
You all had loads of opinions, ideas, and information (as I knew you would) on the subject.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The military is reviewing Soldiers’ complaints that their standard ammunition isn’t powerful enough for the type of fighting required in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army’s highest-ranking officer said Thursday. But Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, said it was too soon to say whether the Pentagon will switch.
Current and former Soldiers interviewed by The Associated Press said the military’s M855 rifle rounds are not powerful enough for close-in fighting in cities and towns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaking with reporters at a conference in Huntsville, Casey said leaders are constantly soliciting feedback from Soldiers in the field and were aware of complaints about the M855 ammunition.
“To effectively prepare them we have to adapt as the enemy adapts, and that is some of the feedback we have gotten,” Casey said. “We’ll evaluate it quickly and then we’ll decide how we want to proceed.”
But Casey said it would be premature to say if the Pentagon will consider a different type of ammunition.
“I can’t tell you exactly what we’re going to do,” he said.
The M855 rounds were designed decades ago to puncture the steel helmets of Soviet soldiers from hundreds of yards away. Some Soldiers said that they are not large enough to stop an enemy immediately in close quarters.
Casey said the military has been evaluating its equipment and practices since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
“Technology is pulling us, and what we’re learning on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan is pushing us,” he said.
(AP)
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Beware.
The AP, as usual, will use anything to create the image of our evil, uncaring leaders sending these “kids off to slaughter”. They did it with that crap Dragon Skin body armor that they said “our boys deserve” and they’ll do it with anything they can get traction on.
This fight has been going on for decades. The SOF teams that first fielded the 5.56 loved it because they could carry so much of it and it was accurate. They understand the value of shot placement too. On the other hand larger rounds, .308 for example, can punch through for a kill behind cover and is also accurate but you can only carry half as much or your kit just gets heavier. Some people support going to soft point or hollow point 5.56 but that would mean blowing off some of the conventions that have been in force since the end of the 1800’s.
There is no perfect bullet for every situation. The Marine Corps has emphasized marksmanship to make the best of it.
I used to run a bicycle store and I used to tell customers that there are three features to choose in a bike: price, durability and weight, pick any two. If you want a light weight bike that is durable, it won’t be cheap. If you want a cheap bike that is durable, it won’t be light…etc.
If you add in the costs of retooling our entire production channel for something that is consumed in such quantity, the whole idea is not a very attractive one while in a fight.
May 31st, 2008 at 10:19 amI second TB. It seems like every week the Army Times has a new article about how terrible the M4 is. Same with the body armor. One of my old favorite sites, SFTT.org (founded by super soldier David Hackworth) seems to have become the official mouthpiece for Dragon Skin. Never mind that Dragon Skin is much heavier and not as durable. In fact, Mike Yon sold his Dragon Skin on eBay. If Yon says it sucks, I believe him.
May 31st, 2008 at 12:05 pmAs far as weapons go, I gotta take the Army’s side on this one. I have no doubt that there are weapons (ie 416) that are slightly better than the M16/M4 family, but it would be an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars to procure, train with an field a weapon that is only a minor improvement. I say, wait for a ray gun or something else cool like that.
Or you know, just change the quality and quantity of the grain in the 5.56 bullet. The 77 grain round can put a hadji down on the first round most of the time. Unless you know, it’s high on drugs. But it’s the 68 grain that is shitty. (I might have the grain numbers messed up by a number or two)
May 31st, 2008 at 1:09 pmAA-12
May 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm