General Dynamics unveils new machine gun
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has unveiled a next-generation Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) at the Joint Armaments Conference in Seattle, US. The company believes the new weapon will close current operational gaps, according to a 16 May, 2012 statement.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products developed the weapon under its own research and development programme in just over one year. It is designed for ‘low-cost production and for maximum effectiveness at the small unit level, where weight and lethality are decisive factors’.
The company said that the LWMMG will close a ‘current operational gap, providing .50 calibre-like firepower in range and effect at the same weight and size of currently fielded 7.62mm machine guns’. The company stated that it also offers ‘a distinct advantage in both extended and close-in fighting by using the highly efficient .338 Norma Magnum cartridge for increased accuracy and lethality out to 1,700 meters, a distance currently gapped in the operational capabilities of warfighters.’
The LWMMG has a firing rate of 500 rounds per minute, a maximum range of 5,642 meters, and is equipped with quick-change barrel technology. In addition to use by dismounted infantry and on ground vehicles, the weapon can be used as the armament system aboard helicopters and littoral craft, providing greater range and effectiveness for those platforms.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces]()
Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces
Canada plans to acquire at least 120 uncrewed aerial systems through two competitions with combined funding ceilings of C$32 million.
-
![Front-line support: how UK industry is helping tackle Ukraine’s landmine challenges]()
Front-line support: how UK industry is helping tackle Ukraine’s landmine challenges
Pearson Engineering has provided equipment and engineering expertise to the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. The British company is now working to deepen engagement with the Ukrainian defence industry, expanding its support for the country’s population and laying the foundations for future technological innovation.
-
![AUSA 2026: industry looks to make commercial platforms a military reality]()
AUSA 2026: industry looks to make commercial platforms a military reality
With a production rate of more than 10 million vehicles annually, the US commercial car and vehicle manufacturing base is second only to China. Defence companies are looking at how the vehicles, technology and manufacturing capability can support programmes.
