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102-607: The competition for the project ended in 2018 with the birth of an eight-wheel drive armoured fighting vehicle , based on the Italian Iveco SuperAV . Production by BAE Systems and Iveco started in 2020 with 36 units, and 80 vehicles per year from 2021, for five years. The ACV should have countermeasures able to contend with a full range of direct fire, indirect fire and land mine threats. Visible and thermal signature reduction technologies will be used. Modular protection can be applied as necessary. The vehicle must have

204-533: A $ 1 million prize to a team in the Fast Adaptable Next-Generation Ground Vehicle (FANG) contest. The team beat out 1,000 other competitors to submit their design for a drivetrain for the ACV. The FANG initiative was to demonstrate a way to procure working systems better than the current defense acquisition process, which frequently leads to delays and cost overruns. The Marines are in charge of

306-694: A .30 caliber Browning machine gun in each compact one-man turret on M113 APCs used by the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in South Vietnam. The M2HB has been in service with the Israel Defense Forces since its establishment and has served in all of Israel's wars, operations, and conflicts . In 2012, the IDF upgraded its M2HB machine guns to the M2HQCB model, with a heavy quick-change barrel. Today

408-442: A 3-man crew and two vehicles will carry a reinforced rifle squad. Armament will consist of an M2 .50-caliber machine gun in a remote weapons station , with the potential to install a stabilized dual-mount M2/ Mark 19 grenade launcher turret. Potential water speeds are for a 12 nmi (14 mi; 22 km) ship-to-shore capability, at 8 kn (15 km/h). The second phase is the original high-water-speed effort to develop

510-403: A dedicated M2 version was developed called the ".50 Browning AN/M2" or the "12.7 mm AN/M2". The "AN" stands for "Army/Navy", since the gun was developed jointly for use by both services. The AN/M2 designation was also used for other aircraft guns and therefore it is important to write the caliber before the designation. The 12.7 mm AN/M2 had a cyclic rate of 600–800 rounds per minute, with

612-489: A fixed developed for use on the M6 Heavy Tank designated Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Fixed, and a "turret type" whereby "Flexible" M2s were modified slightly for use in tank turrets. The subvariant designation Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, TT was only used for manufacturing, supply, and administration identification and separation from flexible M2s. A number of additional subvariants were developed after

714-426: A flash, report, and smoke on contact, useful in detecting strikes on enemy targets; they were primarily intended to incapacitate thin-skinned and lightly armored vehicles and aircraft, while igniting their fuel tanks. Current ammunition types include M33 Ball (706.7 grain) for personnel and light material targets, M17 tracer, M8 API (622.5 grain), M20 API-T (619 grain), and M962 SLAP-T. The latter ammunition along with

816-614: A heavily sandbagged tripod, the M2HB proved very useful in either a defensive role or to interdict or block road intersections from use by German infantry and motorized forces. Hearing the sound of an M2 could often cause enemy infantry to take cover. There are numerous instances of the M2 Browning being used against enemy personnel, particularly infantry assaults or for interdiction or elimination of enemy artillery observers or snipers at distances too great for ordinary infantry weapons. The M2HB

918-576: A higher range at sea, and an increased speed. Some other variants are planned, and optionally manned ones are expected. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps . Eight-wheel drive Eight-wheel drive , often notated as 8WD or 8×8 , is a drivetrain configuration that allows all eight wheels of an eight-wheeled vehicle to be drive wheels simultaneously. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains,

1020-485: A larger-caliber machine gun. Pershing asked the Army Ordnance Department to develop a machine gun with a caliber of at least 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) and a muzzle velocity of at least 2,700 feet per second (820 m/s). Around July 1917, John Browning started redesigning his .30-06 M1917 machine gun for a larger and more powerful round. Winchester worked on the cartridge, which was a scaled-up version of

1122-492: A long history as prime movers in both the military (as tank transports and artillery tractors ), as well as commercially in logging and heavy equipment hauling both on- and off-road. Most eight-wheel drive trucks have two front and two rear axles, with only the front pair steering . Occasionally a single front and three rear (tridem) axles are seen, an example being the Oshkosh M1070 tank transporter . In such configurations,

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1224-498: A maximum effective range of 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) when fired from the M3 tripod . In its ground-portable, crew-served role as the M2HB, the gun itself weighs 84 pounds (38 kg) and the assembled M3 tripod another 44 pounds (20 kg). In this configuration, the V-shaped "butterfly" trigger is located at the very rear of the weapon with a "spade handle" handgrip on either side of it and

1326-449: A mounting bracket of his own design, Hathcock could quickly convert the M2 into a sniper rifle, using the traversing-and-elevating (T&E) mechanism attached to the tripod . When firing semi-automatically, Hathcock hit man-size targets beyond 1,800 metres (2,000 yd)—twice the range of the standard-caliber sniper rifle of the time (a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 ). Hathcock set the record for

1428-448: A new slotted flash suppressor that reduces muzzle flash by 95 percent, fixed headspace and timing, a modified bolt, and a manual trigger block safety. When a standard M2 had a barrel change, the headspace and timing had to be manually set. Improper adjustment could damage the weapon and cause serious injury to the user. Fixed headspace and timing reduces risk, and the carrying handle allows the barrel to be switched in seconds. In June 2011,

1530-582: A non-self deploying vehicle in the ACV 1.1 and then a fully amphibious vehicle in ACV 1.2. The question remains if the Marines are still interested in procuring a high speed connector vehicle after merging ACV 1.1 and 1.2. In May 2018 a former Marine officer, Jeff Groom, published an article concerning the ACV. Both BAE System's and SAIC's ACV 1.1 test vehicles could self-deploy and swim from a ship, in contradiction to General Dunford's testimony in March 2015. However, there

1632-601: A payload of 3.30 t (7,300 lb). It is equipped with a Kongsberg RT-20 remote turret using the Mk44 Bushmaster II (XM813) chain gun, with a calibre of 30×173mm . In August 2022, the USMC awarded BAE System with a contract to manufacture multiple production-ready test vehicles (PRTV) for US$ 88 million. The ACV-R is the recovery variant of the ACV This variant provides field maintenance, recovery, and repair capabilities to

1734-404: A range of 250 yd (230 m). Winchester improved the .50 caliber round to have similar performance. Ultimately, the muzzle velocity was 2,750 ft/s (840 m/s). Efforts by Browning and Fred T. Moore resulted in the water-cooled, .50 caliber M1921 Browning machine gun and an aircraft version. These guns were used experimentally from 1921 until 1937. They had lightweight barrels and

1836-574: A rate of fire of approximately 800 rounds per minute and was used singly or in groups of up to eight guns for aircraft ranging from the P-47 Thunderbolt to the B-25 Mitchell bomber, which in the last J-version of the Mitchell could have up to fourteen M2s firing forward for ground attack missions – eight in a solid metal-structure nose, four more mounted in a pair of conformal twin-gunned gun pods on

1938-424: A single vehicle. Given that the winner of phase 1.1 will likely be awarded the 1.2 contract, industry is already planning to make their submissions meet the later requirements early. The main differences between the phases is the 1.2's greater self-deploying capability and more seating capacity. Merging the two phases to meet higher requirements earlier could speed up the acquisition timeline and drive down price, since

2040-403: A solution to getting Marines to shore, from over the horizon, at something greater than seven knots (8 mph)," the swimming speed of the existing Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) and its Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) replacement. Continuing, he said "we must find a high-water-speed vehicle on the surface. We must." The Deputy Commandant's statements seemly contradict the phased approach to having

2142-410: A top requirement, even at the cost of troop carrying capacity. The ACV must be able to self-deploy from an amphibious assault ship at least 12 miles from shore with 17 Marines aboard. It has to be able to travel 8 knots or faster through seas with waves up to three feet. Initially, the objective of the USMC was to order 1,122 vehicles. As of March 2023, the objective is to procure 632 vehicles. Given

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2244-507: A variety of ships and watercraft including the soft mount and fixed type versions. The fixed types fire from a solenoid trigger and come in left- or right-hand feed variants for use on the Mk 56 Mod 0 dual mount and other mounts. Huaqing Machinery has made a clone of the M2HB known as the CS/LM6, which was released publicly in 2010 at foreign weapons expo conventions. It was made with a picatinny rail on

2346-618: A vehicle capable of self-deployment from ships, and travel at speeds of 13–15 kn (24–28 km/h) on water, each costing $ 12–$ 14 million. This last phase of ACV procurement would be purchasing a high-water-speed vehicle, but only if technologies make it achievable without sacrificing armor and weapons. A Request For Information (RFI) was issued to industry in February 2011. The document outlined expected requirements and asked industry for informal design proposals and program methodology feedback. Responses were due by 22 April 2011. An industry day

2448-915: A vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the United States since the 1930s. It was heavily used during World War II , the Korean War , the Vietnam War , the Falklands War , the Soviet–Afghan War , the Gulf War , the Iraq War , and the War in Afghanistan . It is the primary heavy machine gun of NATO countries and has been used by many other countries as well. U.S. forces have used the M2 longer than any other firearm except

2550-489: Is "good enough" to operate. Its water performance will be comparable to the AAV and will have survivability attributes of a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, including high-ground clearance and a V-shaped hull , with the ability to drive with a wheel blown off. For the second lot buy (1.2), engineering and design changes will be made to meet roughly half of desired amphibious vehicle fleet size requirements. The ACV 1.1

2652-503: Is apparently no longer a need for speed on water as both test vehicles move through the water at 7 knots using traditional water propellers, the same speed as the legacy 1970s AAV. The article questioned the acquisition decision of a vehicle that swims at the same speed as the vehicle it replaces, carries fewer troops and is more expensive. On 24 November 2015, the Marines selected the BAE Systems and Iveco with Iveco SuperAV vehicle and

2754-531: Is made of what was initially, the ACV 1.1 and ACV 1.2. Both generations were merged to make a common basis for various variants in January 2019. The ACV-C is the command and control variant of the ACV vehicle.This variant provides a modernised, armour protected tactical echelon command post for the regiment or battalion. The first production vehicle of this variant was delivered in January 2024. It has an AAO (approved acquisition objective) of 33 vehicles. The ACV-P

2856-666: Is the personnel carrier of the ACV vehicle.It can carry three crew members with 13 Marines and two days of combat equipment and supplies. It has an AAO (approved acquisition objective) of 390 vehicles, it reached its IOC in 2020. The ACV-30 is the Infantry Fighting variant of the ACV vehicle. It mounts a stabilised, medium-calibre weapon system to provide lethality and protection the Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload. 175 of those vehicles are planned, with an Initial Operational Capability set for 2026. This variant weight 35 t (77,000 lb), and has

2958-545: Is to carry 10–13 Marines, have a swim capability similar to the AAV and have equal or greater mobility to the M1 Abrams tank. Although tracks are traditionally considered better for all-terrain mobility, the Marines believe wheeled vehicle technology has advanced enough to enhance survivability and mobility in a 35-ton-class platform. The Marine Personnel Carrier technology demonstrator used "in-line" drive technology that enabled all four wheels on each side to pull together much like

3060-413: The .30-06 cartridge, the M2 uses Browning's larger and more powerful .50 BMG (12.7 mm) cartridge. The design has had many designations; the official U.S. military designation for the infantry type is Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible . It has been used against infantry, light armored vehicles, watercraft, light fortifications, and low-flying aircraft. The gun has been used extensively as

3162-463: The .45 ACP M1911 pistol , which was also designed by John Browning. The M2HB (heavy barrel) is manufactured in the U.S. by General Dynamics , Ohio Ordnance Works, U.S. Ordnance , and FN Herstal for sale to the U.S. government and other nations via Foreign Military Sales . Machine guns were heavily used in World War I, and weapons of larger than rifle caliber began appearing on both sides of

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3264-461: The M4 Sherman , M7 Priest , M8 Greyhound , or M10 tank destroyer variously used by British, Canadian, Australian, South African, and New Zealand units. Nevertheless, the heavy Browning's effectiveness was praised by many British and Commonwealth soldiers in infantry, armored, and ordnance branches. Many commanders thought that the .50 Browning was the best weapon in its class, certainly the best of

3366-556: The SAIC Terrex vehicle to move on to the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the ACV 1.1 program, beating out the vehicles from Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems. The Marine Corps valued swim operations, land operations, carrying capability and force protection equally in the selection process, but the two winners were chosen for emphasis focused on amphibious swim capability since

3468-409: The .30-06. Winchester initially added a rim to the cartridge because the company wanted to use the cartridge in an anti-tank rifle, but Pershing insisted the cartridge be rimless. The first .50-caliber machine gun underwent trials on 15 October 1918. It fired at less than 500 rounds per minute, and the muzzle velocity was only 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s). Cartridge improvements were promised. The gun

3570-467: The .50 BMG cartridge, which offers longer range, greater accuracy, and immense stopping power . The closed bolt firing cycle made the M2 usable as a synchronized machine gun on aircraft before and during World War II, as on the early versions of the Curtiss P-40 fighter. The M2 is a scaled-up version of John Browning's M1917 .30 caliber machine gun . The M2 has varying cyclic rates of fire, depending on

3672-449: The ACV is "fundamentally an amphibious vehicle". Each company was awarded a contract to build 16 vehicles by late 2016, 13 initially and three more when funding becomes available, with testing beginning in early 2017 and lasting one year. A winner is planned to be selected in 2018 to build 204 vehicles, with the first entering service in 2020 and all delivered by 2023. In June 2018, the BAE design

3774-585: The ACV program, so there was no guarantee that the DARPA-crowdsourced mobility drivetrain would result in a vehicle bought by the Corps. At a roundtable discussion in June 2013, Marine Corps General Jim Amos told the media that the program was still being pursued and that a Request For Proposals (RFP) would be issued in early 2014. The Corps has secured and saved a "moderate amount" of money for early development. With

3876-608: The ACV's remote turret went to Kongsberg Defence Systems with the Protector RT20 . A January 2021 report from the Department of Defense's Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) pointed to several problems with the ACV, including cramped quarters, difficult egress and frequent breakdown. In August 2022, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded BAE Systems an $ 88 million contract to build multiple ACV-30 Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTVs). The ACV Family of Vehicles

3978-599: The American weapons, including the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine . In North Africa, after Commonwealth units began to obtain sufficient parts, manuals, gauges, and ammunition for the new weapon, the .50 Browning was increasingly used, eventually replacing the 15 mm Besa, but in Italy it was often deleted from top turret mountings because the mount exposed the operator to low branches and enemy fire. All LRDGs , and some SAS units used

4080-483: The Army began conversion of M2HB machine guns to M2A1s. The M2A1 was named one of the greatest Army inventions of 2011. As of 30 November 2012, 8,300 built or converted M2A1s had been fielded by the U.S. Army; the program will upgrade the Army's entire M2 inventory of more than 54,000 guns. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to upgrade all of their ground-mounted M2s to M2A1 standard from 2016 to 2018. The first phase of conversions

4182-465: The Browning was used with standard ball, armor-piercing (AP), armor-piercing incendiary (API), and armor-piercing incendiary tracer (APIT) rounds. All .50 ammunition designated "armor-piercing" was required to completely perforate 0.875 inches (22.2 mm) of hardened steel armor plate at a distance of 100 yards (91 m) and 0.75 inches (19 mm) at 547 yards (500 m). The API and APIT rounds left

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4284-595: The M1921A1 and M1921E2). With support from the Navy, Colt started manufacturing the M2 in 1933. FN Herstal (Fabrique Nationale) has manufactured the M2 machine gun since the 1930s. General Dynamics, U.S. Ordnance and Ohio Ordnance Works Inc. are other current manufacturers. A variant without a water jacket, but with a thicker-walled, air-cooled barrel was designated the M2 HB ( HB for Heavy Barrel ). The added mass and surface area of

4386-509: The M2 Browning, i.e. they would fire continuously at suspected points of ambush while moving through areas still containing enemy forces. One vehicle would fire exclusively to the right, the following vehicle to the left, the next one to the right, and so on in order to cover both flanks of the advancing convoy. Besides vehicle-mounted weapons, the heavy weapons companies in a World War II U.S. Army infantry battalion or regiment were each issued one M2 Browning with tripod (ground) mount. Mounted on

4488-527: The M2 in a ground role, exposing him to return fire. Units in the field often modified the mountings on their vehicles, especially tanks and tank destroyers, to provide more operator protection in the anti-vehicular and anti-personnel role. The weapon was particularly hated by the Germans, whose attacks and ambushes against otherwise helpless stalled motor convoys were frequently broken up by .50 caliber machine gun fire. Vehicles would frequently "recon by fire" with

4590-492: The M2 serves as an infantry crew-served heavy machine gun, as a remote-controlled external coaxial gun on Merkava main battle tanks , as the main weapon on the Samson RCWS , and as a secondary weapon on Israeli Sea Corps gunboats and missile boats . Nigerian troops have extensively deployed the 50 caliber Browning, mounted on Otokar Cobra APCs, Panhard VBL M11s and Landcruiser gun-trucks in counterinsurgency operations in

4692-399: The M2 was the only adjustable headspace weapon in the U.S. inventory. With rising reports of injuries from improperly headspaced weapons, the U.S. military held a competition for a quick change barrel conversion kit with fixed timing and headspace in 1997. Three companies offered kits and Saco Defense won the competition. However, funding was lost before the design could be fully evaluated and

4794-456: The M903 SLAP (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) round can perforate 1.34 inches (34 mm) of FHA (face-hardened steel plate) at 500 metres (550 yd), 0.91 inches (23 mm) at 1,200 metres (1,300 yd), and 0.75 inches (19 mm) at 1,500 metres (1,600 yd). This is achieved by using a 0.30-inch-diameter (7.6 mm) tungsten penetrator. The SLAP-T adds a tracer charge to the base of

4896-670: The Niger Delta, N.E Nigeria, the Jos Plateau, and in Mali. The M2 machine gun has also been used as a long-range sniper rifle when equipped with a high-powered telescopic sight . Soldiers during the Korean War used scoped M2s in the role of a sniper rifle, but the practice was most notably used by US Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War. Using an Unertl telescopic sight and

4998-437: The ability to be fired from an electrically operated remote-mount solenoid trigger when installed as a fixed gun. Cooled by the aircraft's slip-stream, the air-cooled 12.7 mm AN/M2 was fitted with a substantially lighter 36-inch (91 cm) length barrel, reducing the weight of the complete unit to 61 pounds (28 kg), which also had the effect of increasing the rate of fire. The full official designation for this weapon

5100-660: The action fully. The adapter is very distinctive, attaching to the muzzle with three rods extending back to the base. The BFA can often be seen on M2s during peacetime operations. The M2 .50 Browning machine gun has been used for various roles: At the outbreak of the Second World War, the United States had versions of the M2 in service as fixed aircraft guns, anti-aircraft defensive guns (on aircraft, ships, or boats), infantry (tripod-mounted) guns, and as dual purpose anti-aircraft and anti-vehicular weapons on vehicles. The .50 AN/M2 light-barrel aircraft Browning used in planes had

5202-507: The aircraft (AN/M2) version of the gun, while beam/waist-mounted and turret-mounted Brownings were used later in the war in such aircraft as the Short Sunderland and Lancaster bomber . After World War II, the .50 Browning continued to see action in Korea and other theaters, in aircraft, tripod (ground), ground AA (hip-ring), and vehicle mounts. One of its most notable actions in a ground role

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5304-719: The ammunition fed only from the left side. Service trials raised doubts about whether the guns would be suitable for aircraft or for anti-aircraft use. A heavy barrel M1921 was considered for ground vehicles. John M. Browning died in 1926. Between 1927 and 1932, S.H. Green studied the design problems of the M1921 and the needs of the armed services. The result was a single receiver design that could be turned into seven types of .50 caliber machine guns by using different jackets, barrels, and other components. The new receiver allowed right or left side feed. In 1933, Colt manufactured several prototype Browning machine guns (including what would be known as

5406-464: The ammunition. This ammunition was type classified in 1993. When firing blanks, a large blank-firing adapter (BFA) of a special type must be used to allow the recoil-operated action to cycle. This functions on the principle of a recoil booster , to increase the recoil force acting on the short recoil action. This is the exact antithesis of a muzzle brake . Without this adaptor, the reduced-charge blank cartridge would develop too little recoil to cycle

5508-610: The assault amphibian (AA) companies and battalion in support of the Marine division. The contract for the design and development of this variant was signed in March 2022 for US$ 34.9 million. In April 2024, received a contract to build and deliver production representative test vehicles (PRTV) of the ACV-R for US$ 79 million. This variant is developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works ® . It is equipped with LM Stalker and Indago small UAS. This variant

5610-529: The bolt release can be unlocked into the up position resulting in single-shot firing (the gunner must press the bolt latch release to send the bolt forward). Unlike virtually all other modern machine guns, it has no safety (although a sliding safety switch has recently been fielded to USMC armorers for installation on their weapons and is standard-issue for the U.S. Army for all M2s). Troops in the field have been known to add an improvised safety measure against accidental firing by slipping an expended shell casing under

5712-407: The bolt release in the center. The spade handles are gripped and the butterfly trigger is depressed with one or both thumbs. Recently, new rear buffer assemblies have used squeeze triggers mounted to the handgrips, doing away with the butterfly triggers. When the bolt release is locked down by the bolt latch release lock on the buffer tube sleeve, the gun functions in fully automatic mode. Conversely,

5814-408: The bore within a few thousand rounds, necessitating replacement. In addition to full automatic, the M2HB can be selected to fire single shots, fire slowly at less than 40 rounds per minute, or fire rapidly for more than 40 rounds per minute. Slow and rapid firing modes use 5–7 round bursts with different lengths of pause between bursts. The M2 has an effective range of 1,830 metres (2,000 yd) and

5916-407: The budget environment and the technological challenges involved, the ACV program was split into two separate phases. The first phase is for immediate upgrade to existing equipment types while testing and trying out new concepts. The second phase is to develop then field a single, ultimate vehicle using new technology and the lessons learned operating the improved vehicles to replace the equipment from

6018-472: The butterfly trigger. The upgraded M2A1 has a manual trigger block safety. Because the M2 was designed to operate in many configurations, it can be adapted to feed from the left or right side of the weapon by exchanging the belt-holding pawls, and the front and rear cartridge stops (three-piece set to include link stripper), then reversing the bolt switch. The operator must also convert the top-cover belt feed slide assembly from left to right-hand feed as well as

6120-559: The capability to transition from water to ground operations without tactical pause. It must be able to maneuver with the M1A1 Abrams in a mechanized task force. It must have the capability to destroy combat vehicles similar to itself. Weapons must have sufficient range to engage targets from a standoff distance . Weapons will apply precision fire from a stabilized system. It must provide direct fire support for dismounted infantry in an attack. The Marine Corps identified speed on water as

6222-410: The cartridge in the chamber. The round can be too tight in the chamber and the gun would not fire, or be too loose in the chamber, resulting in a stoppage or ruptured cartridge. The other dimension that could not be held closely enough was when the firing pin would fall. The solution to these problems was adjustable timing and headspace ("Timing" is the adjustment of the gun so that firing takes place when

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6324-454: The configuration is largely confined to heavy-duty off-road and military vehicles, such as armored vehicles , tractor units or all-terrain vehicles such as the Argo Avenger . When such a vehicle only has eight wheels by definition all are driven. When it has twelve – with two pairs of dual wheels on each rear axle – all are also driven but the 8×8 designation remains. Very occasionally,

6426-528: The conflict. The larger rounds were needed to pierce the armor that was being introduced to the battlefield, both on the ground and in the air. Germany introduced the Junkers J.I aircraft, whose armor could render ineffective aircraft machine guns that used conventional rifle ammunition such as the .30-06. Consequently, the American Expeditionary Force 's commander General John J. Pershing asked for

6528-564: The end of World War II. The M2 Heavy Barrel, M48 Turret Type was developed for the commander's cupola on the M48 Patton tank. The cupola mount on the M48A2 and M48A3 was thoroughly disliked by most tankers, as it proved unreliable in service. An externally mounted M2 was later adopted for the commander's position on the M1 Abrams tanks. Three subvariants were also developed for use by the U.S. Navy on

6630-455: The engine block or fuel tanks of a German Bf 109 fighter attacking at low altitude, or perforate the hull plates and fuel tanks of a German half-track or light armored car . It could even penetrate the sides and rear of the Panzer I , Panzer II , Panzer III , and Panzer IV tanks. While the dual-purpose mounting was undeniably useful, it did normally require the operator to stand when using

6732-572: The fact that the individual M2HB's rate of fire (450–550 rounds per minute) was low for an effective anti-aircraft weapon. Towards the end of the war, as Luftwaffe attacks became less frequent, the quad .50 (nicknamed the Meat Chopper or Krautmower ) was increasingly used in an anti-personnel role, similarly to the earlier-introduced (1940) and more powerful—but much more difficult to keep well-fed with ammunition when in action—German 20 mm Flakvierling . Snipers firing from trees were engaged by

6834-516: The first phase. The first phase, will consist of several hundred, commercial off-the-shelf wheeled armored vehicles, each costing $ 3–$ 4.5 million. It will rely on connectors to get it from ship-to-shore, like the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and Joint High Speed Vessel . Relying on connectors to bring the vehicle to a beach allows the sea base to be located 100 miles from enemy threats. The less ambitious Phase 1 ACV will be fielded in

6936-484: The frontmost and rearmost axle usually steer. Other wheel groupings include that of the ZIL-135 . Many wheeled armored vehicles have an 8x8 drivetrain, with the axles (which usually have independent suspension) more evenly spaced. Latest generation 8x8 wheeled armored vehicles have steering on the rearmost axle to improve maneuverability. In the case of both truck and armored vehicle applications, drive may be limited to

7038-499: The heavy barrel compensated somewhat for the loss of water-cooling, while reducing bulk and weight: the M2 weighs 121 lb (55 kg) with a water jacket, but the M2 HB weighs 84 lb (38 kg). Due to the long procedure for changing the barrel, an improved system was developed called QCB (quick change barrel). The lightweight "Army/Navy" prefixed AN/M2 "light-barrel" version of the Browning M2 weighing 60 pounds (27 kg)

7140-515: The interim, while research and development will begin to refine the features of the Phase 2 ACV. Phase 1.1, the first increment of Phase 1 of procurement, will buy wheeled personnel carriers. Phase 1.2, the second increment of Phase 1, will include mission-role variants like command-and-control, logistics and weapons variants. These iterations may reintroduce tracks or stay wheeled. ACV 1.1 vehicles will be an operational and commercially available design that

7242-544: The introduction is Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, with others as described below. The development of the M1921 water-cooled machine gun which led to the M2, meant that the initial M2s were, in fact, water-cooled. These weapons were designated Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, Water-Cooled, Flexible. There was no fixed water-cooled version. Improved air-cooled heavy barrel versions came in three subtypes. The basic infantry model, Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible,

7344-459: The longest confirmed kill at 2,250 metres (2,460 yd), a record which stood until 2002, when it was broken in Afghanistan by Canadian Army sniper Arron Perry . Licensed historic production: Current production (2023): The basic M2 was deployed in U.S. service in a number of subvariants, all with separate complete designations as per the US Army system. The basic designation as mentioned in

7446-436: The lower cockpit sides, and two more if the forward dorsal turret's pair of M2 guns were also aimed straight forward. The later A-26 bested this with up to a maximum of 16/18 machine guns, 8 in the nose, four more per wing in flush-mount pods, plus 2 guns in the dorsal turret. In the dual-purpose vehicle mount, the M2HB proved extremely effective in U.S. service: the Browning's .50 caliber AP and API rounds could easily penetrate

7548-403: The model. The M2HB air-cooled ground gun has a cyclical rate of 450–575 rounds per minute. The early M2 water-cooled AA guns had a cyclical rate of around 450–600 rpm. The AN/M2 aircraft gun has a cyclic rate of 750–850 rpm; this increases to 1,200 rpm for AN/M3 aircraft guns. These maximum rates of fire are generally not achieved in use, as sustained fire at that rate will wear out

7650-469: The platform. From July 9–11, 2013, 25 Marines gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia for a Warfighter Requirements Workshop to review the team's capabilities analysis and determine the value of various capabilities. 30 requirements with cost and weight implications were considered "tradable," including armament and armor protection. Safety and design-specific capabilities, like fitting on an amphibious ship, were considered non-tradable. The point of

7752-601: The previous EFV cancelled from cost overruns, the Marines are being cautious to identify trade-offs between requirements and cost for the platform. Amos noted that they were working with contractors to see which type of vehicle would meet requirements without proving too costly. In January 2013, the ACV team was created and tasked to evaluate the feasibility of building an affordable, survivable amphibious high water speed vehicle. The team includes representatives from over six Department of Defense commands. Their initial requirements and engineering analysis evaluated 198 requirements for

7854-546: The program ended. In 2007, the military found money to start a new competition. Saco Defense had since been acquired by General Dynamics , which won the competition. On 15 October 2010, the M2A1 heavy machine gun was type classified by the U.S. Army. Formerly known as the M2E2, the M2A1 incorporates improvements to the design including a quick change barrel (QCB) with a removable carrying handle,

7956-525: The quad gunner at trunk level; the weapon would cut down and destroy the entire tree, and the sniper with it. The M45 Quadmount was still in use during the Vietnam War. The Commonwealth use of the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun (known as the .5 Browning in British and Commonwealth service) began in World War II, though from 1942 it was standard armament on US-built AFVs provided under lend-lease such as

8058-486: The quantities for both would be bought in bulk. The Marines released the final RFP for ACV 1.1 in March 2015. In July 2015, Lockheed Martin revealed it had ended its association with Finnish company Patria on their previous collaborative Havoc offering for the program. Lockheed unveiled their new ACV offering in September 2015. In October 2017 deputy Marine commandant Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault stated "We have to find

8160-405: The rear two axles for on-road use, thus reducing drivetrain stress and tire wear, and increasing fuel efficiency . Browning M2 The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, " Ma Deuce ") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning . While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun , which was chambered for

8262-407: The receiver in order to have quick installation of various optics. The original M2HB tripod and parts can be used on the CS/LM6. When the M2 was first being designed, John Browning faced two design challenges. With the machine tools available at that time, the dimensions that established the location of the bolt face and the depth of the chamber could not be held tightly enough to control the fit of

8364-418: The recoiling parts are in the correct position for firing; "headspace" is the distance between the face of the bolt and the base of the cartridge case, fully seated in the chamber); the operator had to screw the barrel into the barrel extension, moving the barrel toward the bolt face to reach the proper headspace with simple gauges to allow the operator to adjust to the proper dimensions. By the late 20th century,

8466-432: The spring and plunger in the feed arm. This will take a well-trained individual less than two minutes to perform. The charging assembly may be changed from left to right-hand charge. A right-hand charging handle spring, lock wire, and a little "know-how" are all that is required to accomplish this. The M2 can be battle-ready and easily interchanged if it is preemptively fitted with a retracting slide assembly on both sides of

8568-457: The two front axles are fitted with dual wheels, such as on the Sterling T26 . For most military applications where traction/mobility are considered more important than payload, single wheels on each axle are the norm. On some vehicles, usually recovery trucks or heavy tractor units , the rear axles will have wider tires than the front axles. Heavy hauler and ballast tractor 8×8s have had

8670-554: The way a track does. This demonstrated ability when combined with a higher ground clearance and central tire inflation system, substantially closes the maneuverability gap for wheeled vehicles and results in equal or better maneuverability than the M1A1 and better performance over the AAV, both of which are tracked. Improved technology used to inform requirements to build ACV 1.2 vehicles will later be applied to delivered 1.1 versions to upgrade them to 1.2 standard. Each ACV 1.1 vehicle will have

8772-466: The weapon system. This eliminates the need to have the weapon removed from service to accomplish this task. At some point during World War II, the Frankford Arsenal developed a squeeze bore version of the M2HB which reduced the bullet size from .50 to .30 caliber. There are several different types of ammunition used in the M2HB and AN aircraft guns. From World War II through the Vietnam War ,

8874-463: The weapon. Since Finland was already producing 12.7 mm ammunition, the Finnish variant was rechambered to 12.7 mm (.50 BMG). The Finnish variant was designated VKT 12,70 LKk/42 and was produced by Finland. The M2 machine gun was widely used during World War II, and in later postwar conflicts, as a remote or flexible aircraft gun. For fixed (offensive) or flexible (defensive) guns used in aircraft,

8976-407: The workshop was to get input from fleet Marines about what capabilities they wanted to prioritize with current financial pressures. Over the next month, the team ordered the preferences and applied actual cost and weight data to determine feasibility recommendations for Marine Corps leaders by the fall. In March 2015, the Marines revealed that the separate ACV 1.1 and 1.2 increments may be merged into

9078-449: Was "Browning Machine Gun, Aircraft, Cal. .50, AN/M2" (Fixed) or (Flexible). The 12.7 mm AN/M2 was used on many aircraft during WWII , as it served as the main aircraft armament in the US military. Most US fighter aircraft were armed with four, six or eight AN/M2 MGs mounted in the wings. Some examples being the Curtiss P-40 , Republic P-47 Thunderbolt , and North American P-51 Mustang for

9180-491: Was also developed, and became the standard .50-caliber aviation machine gun of the World War II–era for American military aircraft of nearly every type, readily replacing Browning's own air-cooled .30 caliber machine gun design in nearly all American aircraft installations. The Browning M2 is an air-cooled , belt-fed machine gun. The M2 fires from a closed bolt , operated on the short recoil principle. The M2 fires

9282-547: Was also tested with a land drone, the IAI/ELTA Rex MkII unmanned infantry combat support system. It aims at evaluating solutions for the Advanced Reconnaissance Program with a Government Off The Shelf (GOTS) solution. It focuses especially on the technological demonstration of the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability. For this generation, it is planned as being a "true ship-to-shore connector", with

9384-690: Was completed in March 2017, with 3,600 M2A1s planned to be fielded by the Marines in total. The Israel Defense Forces adopted the M2-HQCB (the commercial version of the M2A1) in 2012 as a replacement to the M2HB. One derivative of the M2 Browning is the Mitrailleuse d´Avion Browning - F.N. Calibre 13,2 mm , more commonly known as the FN Browning M.1939. The FN Browning M.1939 was a heavily modified M2 Browning for aircraft use designed by FN Herstal for export. Their aim

9486-413: Was designed for this gun. It was of a high explosive type and was designed to take down a small aircraft with a single hit. Tests showed that it was very effective against both cloth and aluminum skinned aircraft. Due to the aforementioned improvements, the gun received interest from numerous nations when it entered the export market in 1939. Due to the start of World War 2 and the invasion of Belgium it

9588-464: Was exported to only Romania and Sweden . Sweden was able to buy the majority of the weapons along with the blueprints to produce the weapon on their own without paying for a license. In Sweden, the weapon received the designation Automatkanon m/39, short Akan m/39, meaning Autocannon m/39 and was later produced by Ericsson as the Akan m/39A. Sweden also gave the blueprints to Finland so they could produce

9690-436: Was heavy, difficult to control, fired too slowly for the anti-personnel role, and was not powerful enough against armor. While the .50-caliber was being developed, some 13.2×92mmSR Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr anti-tank rifles and its ammunition were captured. The 13.2 mm German rounds had a muzzle velocity of 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s), an 800 gr (52 g) bullet, and could penetrate armor 1 in (25 mm) thick at

9792-589: Was held on 6 April 2011. In August 2012, General Dynamics was awarded an ACV Hull Survivability Demonstrator contract for the design, fabrication and test support of a full-scale hull to demonstrate crew-protection technologies. In November 2012, they conducted simulated mine-blast tests on their ACV ballistic hull design, successfully meeting mine-blast survivability requirements. Work concluded by May 2013 and will be used to refine requirements for effective protection against under-vehicle threats. In April 2013, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded

9894-556: Was in a fierce battle with a nine-man Special Air Service team at the Battle of Mirbat in Oman in July 1972, where the heavy Browning and its API ammunition was used to help repulse an assault by 250 Yemeni Adoo guerrillas, though the more famous weapon from the battle is a 25 pounder gun . The Scots Guards used the weapon in the 1982 Falklands War . A .50 caliber Browning was installed along with

9996-516: Was killed during the firefight and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor . The M45 Quadmount was a mounting of four .50 M2HB guns with a single gunner situated behind an armored housing. This was used by U.S. anti-air battalions, fitted either on a towed trailer or mounted on a half-track carrier. With 200 rounds per gun in a powered tracking mount, the guns proved very effective against low-flying aircraft. The use of four guns adequately compensated for

10098-519: Was not widely used in the Pacific campaign for several reasons, including the weight of the gun, the nature of infantry jungle combat, and because road intersections were usually easily outflanked. However, it was used by fast-moving motorized forces in the Philippines to destroy Japanese blocking units on the advance to Manila. The quad mount .50 was also used to destroy Japanese emplacements. The M2HB

10200-605: Was selected, with an initial order of 30 ACVs. In June 2019, BAE Systems and Iveco were awarded a contract to develop Command and 30mm gun armed variants. In October 2020, Iveco announced that the first fleet of 18 ACVs had been delivered to a platoon of Marines after five years of testing development. In December 2020, the Marine Corps and BAE Systems announced the commencement of full-rate production, with an initial batch of 36, expected to grow to 72 in early 2021, with an option for 80 vehicles per year thereafter. The subcontract for

10302-406: Was to make a light, reliable heavy machine gun with the same damage output as a 20 mm autocannon. To achieve this, they raised the firing rate to 1080 rpm and gave it a more powerful cartridge in the form of the 13.2×99mm Hotchkiss . This cartridge was a popular Eurasian analog of .50 BMG developed independently in 1920s with a 13.2 mm bullet (.52 in) and more propellant. A new projectile

10404-499: Was used in Korea and Vietnam, and later in both Operation Desert Storm , the Afghan theater of Operation Enduring Freedom and in Iraq . In 2003, U.S. Army SFC Paul Ray Smith used his M2HB mounted on an M113 armored personnel carrier to kill 20 to 50 enemies who were attacking a U.S. outpost, preventing an aid station from being overrun and allowing wounded soldiers to be evacuated, SFC Smith

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