What do the Marines have strapped to their rifle?

[ballistic gelatin]

What do these Marines have tied to their rifles?

Also, I can't help but notice that the Army guys have flattops with red dots and fancy equipment, while the Marines have standard iron sight and 20" barrels.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Also, I can't help but notice that the Army guys have flattops with red dots and fancy equipment, while the Marines have standard iron sight and 20" barrels.

Yeah, but on average, I'd bet the Marine with the A2 will hit what he aims at more than the Army guy with flat-top/red-dot. Yes, there are exceptions.

Plus, the Marines have traditionally gotten the new gear slower than the Army. The Army got M1's while the Marines waded ashore at Guadalcanal with 1903 Springfields. I think the Marines are way downstream in the budget flow.

Regards.

 

[Frohickey]

Marines are part of the Navy, and ships cost more than rifles. Is that a knife that I see the Marine out in front have on his right hip? The one with the anti-tank missile launcher (Dragon?)

 

[Jeff White]

Although the pic isn't all that close, it looks like they have the AN/PAQ-4 Infrared Aiming Light mounted on their M16s. This is an infrared laser that is used with passive night vision (AN'PVS-5, 7 or 14 depending on what the unit is issued) to aim the weapon in the dark.

The Marine with the M203 has the mount for the AN/PVS-7 or 14 on his kevlar.

Jeff

 

[buzz_knox]

I think the add-ons are laser designators, but can't be positive.

As for the Marines, I believe they are including the M16A4 (flattop with modular handguards) in the inventory. Just takes a while to get them in stock, although I've seen one photo of a 3rd Infantry Division soldier with one.

By the way, that's not a Dragon. It's an AT-4 light anti-armor weapon, the successor to the classic LAAW rocket.

 

[gun-fucious]

http://members.shaw.ca/night-vision/ttps_for_a_night_attack.htm

The world's Finest
The AN/PAQ-4C incorporates
lessons learned with Aiming
Lights in Desert Storm, other
combat operations and extensive
field operation, plus production
experience. Over 20,400 Aiming
Lights were produced in 1993-1996
and 40,000 were produced
in 1996-1999. The result is an
easy mount, quick to zero Aiming
Light with beam quality and
range unmatched in any eye safe
device

Operations
The AN/PAQ-4C provides a
rapid, accurate aim point for
personnel engaged in Night
Operations. The AN/PAQ-4C
does this by projecting a highly
collimated (0.3 mr) laser beam
invisible to the eye but readily
seen with Night Vision Goggles.
Once boresighted to a weapon,
the operator simply puts the laser
beam on the target and fires. The
AN/PAQ-4C has a range of 1,000
meters, accuracy equivalent to the
finest optical sights, and ease and
rapidity of aiming unequaled in
any conventional sight.

 

[Detritus]

i'm with Jeff on this,

You'll also notice that of the guys with the device in question on their rifle, the Grenadier is the only one who doesn't have a pair of goggles hiked up on his helmet covering the area that the mounting bracket for the AN/PVS-7 or 14 mount. so i'd say the othger three guys with the desinators installed ALSO have teh mounting bracket on but their gogles are hiding it.

 

[buzz_knox]

Notice the guy in the far left background carrying just the Beretta? I'd hate to be out there with just the sidearm.

 

[gun-fucious]

more Marines:

 

[Steve Smith]

range of 1000 meters, huh?

So it accounts for bullet drop? It has an auto rangefinding feature? You don't have to answer.

 

[Frohickey]

Notice the finger off the trigger...

 

[Slick]

They look kinda like MREs to me, yea, they use them to lure hungry Iraqis into surrendering...

Nice outfits, Woodland Camo with Desert Camo Helmet covers????
Maybe a Training Excercise somewhere?

Gunfucious, awesome pic! Glad to see him go.

 

[gun-fucious]

heres my pic o the day:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030321/170/3ktkn.html

heres a better shot of the NV helmet mount:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030321/168/3kxcu.html

 

[ajacobs]

It is more properly worded a laser aimer as opposed to a designator. A designator like a glid is used to light up targets for presision air fire.

So it accounts for bullet drop? It has an auto rangefinding feature? You don't have to answer.

No, Being a laser it goes in a perfectly straight line. It is primary purpose is similar to a laser sight. IT is used becuase you can't look down the sights with night vision.

 

[El Tejon]

Slick, most likely wearing woodie BDUs for night. If I had to climb down off a track, I'd prefer woodland.

 

[ajacobs]

I wouldn't be supprised if they are wearing woodland becuase they don't have the new desert. There is such a thing as night desert also.

 

[Steve Smith]

Ummm...ok, I said you didn' t have to answer because I already knew the answer. Of course the beam of light doesn't bend (refraction around the Earth's curvature notwithstanding). It would have to have an auto range finder and shift the image in the night vision in relation to the laser to actually compensate for drop, which of course it doesn't (yet). Now, I could build something like that for them...hmm... It just seems silly for the "official" info to mention 1km if it doesn't auto correct for distance. The GI will probably think that just because the dot is on his target he will hit it, but will fall way way short.

 

[Chipperman]

"Notice the guy in the far left background carrying just the Beretta? I'd hate to be out there with just the sidearm."

What you can't see is that he's dragging a Howitzer with his other hand.

 

[Jeff White]

The AN/PEQ-2 is the weapons mounted target designator. Has a much more powerful laser in it then the AN/PAQ-4C.

Jeff

 

[Al Thompson]

I don't think camo willl make much difference. Those guys aren't there to hide.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I'm willing to bet that they're wearing green cammies because they're in MOPP suits, they just haven't goin all the way to MOPP IV.

 

[Destructo6]

Notice the guy in the far left background carrying just the Beretta? I'd hate to be out there with just the sidearm.

That's probably Doc. Pistol or shotgun is all he's allowed to carry and at that, it probably shouldn't be out of the holster. Must be practicing preventative medicine.

 

[Nightcrawler]

For readers unfamiliar with the lingo, the "Doc" would be a Navy Corpsman. They, and their Medic bretheren in the other armed forces, are typically armed only with a sidearm, as per (I believe) Geneva Conventions rules.

 

[another okie]

The main reason the Marines were slow to get the Garand in WW II is that they didn't trust a semiauto until it was proven in combat and in harsh conditions. They weren't sure it went with their traditions of marksmanship. (Do you say markspersonship now?)

 

[SIGarmed]

It looks like they're wearing mopp(mission oriented protective posture) suits. Short barreled rifles aren't issued Marine Corps wide and they aren't going to be. Thats probably a wise choice considering the terrain they're in right now.