M249 light machine gun

The M249 light machine gun is a machine gun which is the U.S. version of the Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun, used by the United States and Lebanon. The main use of this weapon is to provide cover fire for other soldiers in a squad (or group of soldiers). The gun uses 5.56 NATO caliber ammunition.

Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249
Type	Squad automatic weapon/Light machine gun
Service history
In service	1984-Present
Used by	United States armed forces Lebanon

Overview

The M249 was made because a lot of the squadrons of the U.S. Army did not have fully automatic weapons. It has seen action in every war that the United States has been in since 1989.

Replacement

In the U.S. Marines, the M249 is due to be replaced by the German M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.

M249 Light Machine Gun Media

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  Initial Belgian-designed Minimi prototype delivered to the U.S. Infantry Board for evaluation, before it received its XM249 designation (note the difference)

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  ARRADCOM Squad Automatic Weapon System (SAWS) Prototype Light Machine Gun

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  An early model of the M249, with the stock and handguard of 'Product Improvement Program'

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  A U.S. Marine firing an M249 from an M122A1 tripod at a training range, November 2003

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  A cloth pouch in Universal Camouflage Pattern used for holding belts of linked ammunition, this one being capable of holding 200 rounds

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  The different rounds that can be successfully loaded into the M249 SAW

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  A "fully improved" U.S. Army-issue M249, circa July 2010

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  Early model of the M249 Para equipped with a M145 Machine Gun Optic, October 2005, Koshk Kowl, Afghanistan

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  A Ranger with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment armed with a Mk 46 machine gun provides overwatch security on an objective during a mission in Iraq, November 2006

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  A map with M249 SAW users in blue