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60-570: The Long Range Patrol Vehicle (LRPV) is a 6x6 patrol vehicle that was used by the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in Afghanistan and Iraq. The SASR's first long ranged patrol vehicles were modified Series II Land Rovers . They were developed in the early 1970s and used in exercises in northern Western Australia from 1973. The LRPV was developed from the six-wheel drive variant of

120-595: A MAG 58 machine gun, and carry a M3 Carl Gustav recoilless rifle. Coalition Special Operations had been using vehicles with the latest armour protected vehicle hull for many years, since 2003 the UK Special Air Service had been using the Supacat HMT 400 in Afghanistan and the same vehicle entered service with the US 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta in Afghanistan in 2004. In 2008,

180-408: A base with protective ears that is integral with the receiver's upper forging. The iron sight line has a 848  mm (33.4  in ) sight radius. The top of later production model receivers often feature a MIL-STD-1913 rail as a mounting platform for firearm accessories like (low light) optical sights and night-vision devices . With the safety placed in the safe setting, the sear mechanism

240-611: A belt-fed version. FFV-Carl Gustaf tried to design a derivative, but their belt feeding mechanism (placed below the action, like on the BAR) did not pass military trials. Therefore FN Herstal was approached, and Belgian designers came up with the idea to flip the BAR action upside down and mate it with the proven MG 42 belt-feeding mechanism. The work was started in the late 1940s by Dieudonné Saive and finished by Ernest Vervier in 1953, with Swedish trials beginning in 1955. The MAG served as

300-515: A complement to the FN FAL battle rifle. It first entered production in 1958 ( Ksp 58 chambered in 6.5×55mm), and it is sometimes referred to as the MAG-58. The MAG Model 60-20 is an automatic, air-cooled, gas-operated machine gun, firing belt-fed 7.62×51mm NATO from an open bolt . The MAG uses a series of proven design concepts from other successful firearms, for example the locking mechanism

360-409: A forward blade (adjustable mechanically for both windage and elevation) and a folding leaf rear sight with an aperture in the down position for firing distances from 200 to 800  m (219 to 875  yd ) in 100  m (109  yd ) increments and an open U-notch for ranges from 800 to 1,800  m (875 to 1,969  yd ) graduated every 100  m (109  yd ). The rear sight is hinged to

420-414: A mount for optical sights. It does, however, have a new closed-type gas regulator. Depending on the weapon's employment, the machine gun can also be fitted with an extended charging handle linkage, standard trigger group (with a pistol grip), or a specialized trigger assembly with an electrically fired trigger. The pintle-mounted aircraft model is fed from either the right- or left-hand side exclusively with

480-407: A roller connected to the bolt carrier. The feed channel rail, feed link, both feed slides and the feed tray are chrome plated. The top cover body is an anodized aluminum casting . In the infantry assault role, the weapon can be fitted with a sheet metal container that houses a 50-round belt and is attached to the left side of the receiver. The MAG is equipped with iron sights that consist of

540-444: A slotted flash suppressor . The barrel's chamber and bore are chrome-lined or stellite-lined for increased service life and the barrel has four right-hand grooves with a 305 mm (1:12 in) rifling twist rate. Also attached to the barrel is the front sight base, carry handle and gas block (equipped with an exhaust-type gas regulator valve with three settings). The barrel assembly weighs 3,050  g (6.72  lb ) and of

600-418: A striker firing mechanism (the bolt carrier acts as the striker as it contains a channel that houses the firing pin, which protrudes out from the surface of the bolt upon firing), an automatic-only trigger assembly and a manual cross-bolt push-button safety , which is located above the pistol grip . The MAG's receiver is constructed from sheet metal stampings reinforced by steel plates and rivets . The front

660-528: A total length of 1275 mm and a weight of 11.6 kg (including stock and bipod). The second variant is called SM2 V2 which is modified as a coaxial gun. The stock is removed by changing the trigger mechanism to the rear of the weapon as in the M2 Browning . This variant has a higher rate of fire of 700-1200 rpm. It is shorter at only 1070 mm in length with a weight (plus coaxial) of 12 kg. In 2020, Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

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720-709: Is a Land Rover Perentie 4x4 fitted with the same ring mount as the LRPV in the rear to enable the fitting of a M2 Browning machine gun or Mk 19 grenade launcher. It also has a passenger side front seat weapon mount for the MAG 58 machine gun. The LRPV was later in the Afghanistan campaign, after Australia returned in 2006, patrolling regularly with the SRV, the Australian made Bushmaster armoured vehicle as well as Polaris six-wheel all-terrain vehicles , which could be fitted with

780-399: Is advantageous for use against targets that are exposed to a general-purpose machine gun for a limited time span, like aircraft or targets that minimize their exposure time by quickly moving from cover to cover. For targets that can be fired on by a general-purpose machine gun for longer periods than just a few seconds, the cyclic firing rate becomes less important. The quick-change barrel has

840-808: Is also commonly fitted in front of the passenger's (left-hand) seat. In addition, LRPVs can also carry a Suzuki DRZ 250cc motorbike on their tailgate to be used for scouting purposes. The LRPV deployed to Kuwait in 1998 for Operation Desert Thunder, and first saw combat as part of the Australian contribution to the War in Afghanistan , Operation Slipper and later in Iraq in Operation Falconer . The SASR's 1 Squadron arrived in Afghanistan in November 2001, and rapidly sent LRPV-mounted patrols hundreds of kilometers from their base at Camp Rhino . In his history of

900-404: Is disabled. The safety can only be engaged with the weapon cocked. For the light machine gun fire support role, the gun is fitted with a folding bipod (attached to the end of the gas cylinder) that can be adjusted for height. For carrying or use as a forearm, the aluminum legs can be folded back and secured in slots under the receiver by hooks and a spring-loaded catch. When firing from the hip,

960-521: Is modeled on that of the Browning M1918 (BAR) automatic rifle , which FN produced under license with some adaptions, and the feed and trigger mechanisms are from the WW II -era MG 42 universal machine gun. The MAG operates via a long-stroke piston system , which utilizes the ignited powder gases generated by firing vented through a port in the barrel to propel a gas piston rod connected to

1020-440: Is reinforced to accept the barrel nut and gas cylinder which are permanently mounted. Guide rails that support the bolt assembly and piston extension during their reciprocating movement are riveted to the side plates. The bolt's guide rails are shaped downward to drive the locking lever into engagement with the locking shoulder, which is also riveted to the side plates. The rear of the receiver has been reinforced and slotted to accept

1080-642: The 6.5×55mm rifle cartridge which at that time was the standard cartridge in the Swedish Army. Kulspruta 58 B : In the early 1970s, the weapon was modified with a new gas regulator and at the same time the barrels were replaced to the new standard 7.62×51mm NATO , same as used by the Ak 4 . Ksp 58 replaced the considerably heavier Ksp m/42B in the infantry units. It can be fed with non-disintegrating DM1 or disintegrating M13 linked ammunition belts. Kulspruta 58 C : On Combat Vehicle 90 , this version replaced

1140-730: The C6 GPMG ), Egypt, India, and the United Kingdom. The MAG is available in three primary versions: the standard, infantry Model 60-20 machine gun, the Model 60-40 coaxial machine gun for armoured fighting vehicles , and the Model 60-30 aircraft variant. After World War II the Swedish Army , who used two 6.5×55mm versions of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) since the 1920s, wanted to replace them with

1200-460: The 630  mm (24.80  in ) long barrel a portion of 487.5  mm (19.19  in ) is rifled. The MAG takes zero shifts between barrel assemblies into account by making the front sight of the assemblies adjustable with the help of tools. The weapon feeds from the left side from open-link, metal ammunition belts : either the American disintegrating M13 linked belt ( NATO standard) or

1260-653: The 7.62 mm L7A2 resuming its place in the British Army infantry section. Other variants continue to be used in mounted roles on many British military vehicles, naval vessels and aircraft. In 1961, the Royal Small Arms Factory , Enfield (now BAE Systems ) in the United Kingdom, undertook licence production of the MAG in the following versions: L7A2, L8A2, L37A2, L20A1 and the L43A1. These models all use

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1320-466: The 7.62×51mm NATO useful maximum range, that is defined by the maximum range of a small-arms projectile while still maintaining the minimum kinetic energy required to put unprotected personnel out of action, which is generally believed to be 15 kilogram-meters (147 J / 108 ft⋅lbf). With the tripod and FGM-148 Javelin sight unit indirect fire configuration, British troops in Afghanistan used

1380-568: The Australian Army's Land Rover Perentie design in the late 1980s. The design was intended to be used by the SASR to patrol remote regions of Australia. The LRPV is mechanically simple, and relatively easy to maintain in the field. It has a crew of three. The LRPV is fitted with a central ring mount, which can be fitted with either a M2 Browning heavy machine gun or a Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher (AGL). A MAG 58 medium machine gun

1440-656: The British forces as a replacement for the long-serving Vickers machine gun (in the medium role) and the Bren (in the light assault role), following trials in 1957. Built under license originally by Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield Lock and currently by Manroy Engineering, it serves in the British Army, the Royal Marines and other services. There have been two main variants, the L7A1 and L7A2, developed for infantry use, with

1500-592: The Bushmaster became the primary combat vehicle favoured over the LRPV. In August 2008, Australia placed an order for 31 of the latest Supacat HMT vehicles, the Extenda configurable between 4x4 and 6x6, named the "Nary" for use in Afghanistan to replace the LRPVs for a cost of $ 80 million. The project to introduce these vehicles into service was delayed by three years due to problems integrating different systems onto

1560-547: The C6 GPMGs are co-axially and pintle-mounted and used to provide fire support to the infantry or for local defence of the vehicle itself. In September 2018, Canada began fielding an improved C6A1 FLEX version; changes include a polymer buttstock which is more durable and easier to decontaminate in a CBRN scenario than the original wooden stock, M1913 picatinny rails for the attachment of pointing devices and optical sighting systems, and an adjustable gas tube regulator to control

1620-739: The Far East), where there was no requirement for the medium machine gun role, and with secondary units, until the adoption of the L86A1 Light Support Weapon (LSW). The LSW was intended to replace both the L7 and the L4 in the light machine gun role, but dissatisfaction with the L86's sustained fire capabilities and reliability resulted in combat units continuing to utilize the L7 whenever possible (although neither it, nor its 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition

1680-507: The L7A2 at ranges of and over 2,700  m (2,953  yd ). The average 1,884 m (6,181 ft) elevation of Afghanistan and accompanying low ISA air density significantly contribute to extending the useful maximum range of small-arms projectiles. The L8A2 coaxial tank machine gun (replaced the L8A1) has a different gas valve switch (closed, single-position) when compared to

1740-688: The L7A2 having superseded the earlier variant. Several other variants have been developed, notably the L8 (produced in the L8A1 and L8A2 versions), modified for mounting inside armoured vehicles (the L37 variant was developed for mounting on armoured vehicles). Although intended to replace the Bren entirely, that light machine gun (re-chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO and re-titled as the L4) continued in use in jungle terrain (especially in

1800-571: The L8A2 primarily in its trigger, which was adapted from the L7A2 GPMG. The machine gun can be used in the ground role for self-defense, by dismounted vehicle crew members, the egress kit consists of an L7A2 barrel, bipod and buttstock. The L20A1 aircraft machine gun was based on the L8A2, from which it differs by having an electrical trigger and a slotted flash suppressor. The L20A1 can be converted to right-hand feed by changing several components in

1860-574: The M13 ammunition belt. The L7A2 , general-purpose machine gun, replaced the L7A1 in service with the British Army . Compared to the MAG Model 60-20, it features, among other minor changes, an improved feed mechanism, a 10-position gas regulator valve, a polymer butt-stock, a provision for 50 round belt-box and a bracket, used to mount optical day- and night-vision sights, mounted to the left side of

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1920-464: The M13 belt. Thus configured, weapons typically lack standard iron sights and are equipped with electrically powered triggers. The L7 general-purpose machine gun is used by the British Army . The L7 and the related L8 are license-built derivatives of the MAG. The official British Army designation for the current version is the L7A2 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun). The L7 was adopted by

1980-500: The Ordnance Development and Engineering Company of Singapore, Canadian Arsenals Limited, the Royal Small Arms Factory , Heckler and Koch , U.S. Ordnance , Barrett Firearms Manufacturing , Manroy Engineering, Yunnan Xiyi Industry Company Limited, and Egypt's Maadi Company for Engineering Industries. The vehicle-mounted variant of the MAG lacks a stock, bipod, carry handle, pistol grip, ejection port dust cover and

2040-409: The SASR's 1 Squadron were one of the first special forces units to enter Iraq in the invasion , entering from Jordan , consisting of two troops with LRPVs crossing the border entering the western desert and a third troop with LRPVs inserted by U.S. helicopters over the border. Western Iraq had been divided into areas to patrol between the U.S. 5th Special Forces Group , the UK Special Air Service and

2100-474: The SASR's early operations in Afghanistan, journalist Ian McPhedran wrote that the "Australian-designed LRPVs would prove ideal in the harsh Afghan environment, as they could stay on patrol for weeks on end without needing to return to base". On 16 February 2002 SASR Sergeant Andrew Russell was killed when the LRPV he was travelling in struck a mine during an operation in the Helmand Valley . This

2160-521: The SASR. The SASR was equipped with FIM-92 Stinger Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems. The two troops who crossed the border conducted one of the first engagements of the war and the third troop inserted by helicopter was for several days the closest coalition element to Baghdad. The SASR also used the 2nd Commando Regiment vehicle designated the Surveillance Reconnaissance Vehicle (SRV) to supplement LRPV patrols. The SRV

2220-758: The US Army awarded a contract to FN Herstal for the delivery of a modernized Model 60-40 variant tank machine gun designated the M240 . Initially, the firearms were produced in Belgium. Currently they are manufactured in the US by FN's US wholly owned subsidiary FNMI (FN Manufacturing Inc.) located in Columbia , South Carolina , and by U.S. Ordnance in McCarran, Nevada. The M240 is built in several versions: The Turkish military equipment producer MKEK announced in 2017

2280-567: The analogous Model 60-40, a different flash hider and a modified cocking handle. The weapon also has a trigger group that accepts electrical input and a lever in the feed tray that enables the belt to be removed without lifting the feed tray cover. Another tank machine gun is the L37A2 (succeeded the L37A1) designed to be mounted on tank turrets, in the commander's position, on wheeled armoured vehicles and on armored personnel carriers . It differs from

2340-425: The bipod legs remain extended and the left leg is gripped for support. The bipod can be removed from the gas cylinder by tapping-out a roll pin in the gas cylinder head until it is flush and the bipod can be rotated enough to clear the gas cylinder's retaining lugs. In the static medium machine gun sustained fire support role, the weapon is mounted on a tripod that offers a higher degree of accuracy and control than

2400-561: The bipod, for example the FN 360° tripod, which features an elevation adjustment mechanism that enables the weapon's bore axis to be maintained from 300 mm (11.8 in) to 600 mm (23.6 in), has a 30° to +15° elevation change and a 360° traverse range. Variants of the FN MAG were manufactured by at least ten companies: FN Herstal, Fabricaciones Militares , Changfeng Machinery, Indian Ordnance Factories , Carl Gustaf Stads Gevärfaktori,

2460-402: The bullet has left the gun barrel and the high-pressure propellant gas pressure has dropped to a safe level. The MAG fires from an open bolt . Both the spring-powered extractor and ejector are contained in the bolt. After firing, spent cartridge casings are removed downwards through an ejection port normally covered by a spring-loaded dust cover at the bottom of the receiver. The machine gun has

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2520-419: The butt stock. The MAG is also equipped with a fixed wooden stock (later production models feature polymer furniture), pistol grip, and carrying handle. A user-adjustable gas valve allows regulating the cyclic rate of fire from 650 up to 1,000 rounds per minute, and subsidiary can adjust the gas system for various types of cartridge loadings or use in the presence of heavy fouling. A high cyclic rate of fire

2580-414: The feed mechanism. The L43A1 , also developed from the L8A2, is a coaxially mounted tank machine gun used to sight-in the vehicle's main gun by firing ballistically matched tracer ammunition at the target to confirm the trajectory visually. The weapon's barrel, fitted with a flash hider, has a reinforced and heavier structure that increases the weapon's accuracy especially during sustained fire.' The C6

2640-431: The locking assembly. The barrel breech is locked with a vertically tilting, downward locking lever mechanism that is connected to the bolt carrier through an articulated joint. The locking shoulder and camming surfaces that guide the locking lever are located at the base of the receiver . The unlocking sequence starts after 15 mm (0.6 in) rearward gas piston rod movement to keep the breech block fully locked until

2700-601: The non-disintegrating segmented German DM1 belt, whose 50-round sections can be linked through a cartridge . The DM1 belt is based on the last version of the Gurt 34/41 -family used in World War II in MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns. After firing, the separated M13 link or emptied DM1 belt section is cleared out on the right side of the receiver through an ejection port normally covered by a spring-loaded dust cover. In order to adapt

2760-427: The norm. Heavy hauler and ballast tractor 6×6s have had a long history as prime movers both in the military (as tank transports and artillery tractors ), and commercially in logging and heavy equipment hauling both on- and off-road . Most six-wheel drive vehicles have a forward axle and two at the rear (with only the front pair steering), or three evenly spaced in varying steering configurations. Depending on

2820-412: The previously used Ksp m/39 in the third quarter of 2004. Kulspruta 58 Strv : stripped variant mainly used for fixed mounting in tanks. Phased out along with Stridsvagn 103 . Kulspruta 58 D : Reserved designation for the renovated and modified Ksp 58B. The trial version is referred to as 'Ksp 58 DF', where the 'F' stands for 'Försök' (Experimental). Some of the modifications: On January 14, 1977,

2880-614: The rate of fire. The C6A1 is manufactured by Colt Canada , with the company having earlier provided support for the original C6 fleet, and is the first support machine gun to have been manufactured in Canada since the Second World War. An unlicensed version is made for export by Norinco and made by Changfeng Machinery Co., Ltd as the CQ, 7.62 × 51 (Copy Version) (Now renamed CS/LM1 as of 2006) with an adjustable butt. The weapon

2940-565: The rear, and an integrated "roll steer" function built into the suspension design. All 6x6 Australia Pty Ltd vehicles are ADR-compliant with IPA for both "heavy" and "light" vehicles. FN MAG The FN MAG ( French : Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général , English: General Purpose Machine Gun) is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun , designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it has been made under licence in several countries, including Argentina, Canada (as

3000-699: The receiver. In the sustained fire role, the L7A2 can be mounted on the L4A1 tripod in conjunction with a C2A2 Support Weapons Sight or the sight unit used on the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system. Fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon the L7A2 in conjunction with a C2A2 Support Weapons Sight can provide battalion-level direct support fire at ranges up to 1,800  m (1,969  yd ) and indirect map and range table predicted support/harassment fire out to 2,500  m (2,734  yd ). The indirect firing method exploits

3060-579: The receiver. It was meant to compete in the machine guns trials held by the German and French military between 2007 and 2008. The trials concluded with the French military selecting the original FN MAG in 2010, while the German military selected the Heckler & Koch MG5 in 2015. Indonesian arms manufacturer PT Pindad license produced FN MAG in 2003 as SM2. SM2 V1 variant comes with integrated bipod, with

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3120-459: The vehicle's role, the number of wheels varies between six (in three pairs) and ten (with two in the front and two dual axles with four wheels apiece in the rear). Drive may be limited to the rear two axles for on-road use. Military Military/commercial Commercial Conversions Recreational ATV/UTV Concept car , testbed , and limited production commercial examples include: Twin front axle Twin rear axle (Twin axle) drive in

3180-560: The vehicles, but they reached their 'final operating capability' on 28 June 2012. Several Nary vehicles were deployed to Afghanistan. 6x6 When such a vehicle only has six wheels by definition all are driven. When it has ten – with two pairs of ganged "dual" wheels on each rear axle as on a GMC CCKW – all are also driven but the 6×6 designation remains. For most military applications where traction/mobility are considered more important than payload capability, single wheels on each axle (often referred to as super singles) are

3240-465: The weapon to feed from one belt type to the other, several components of the feed mechanism need to be reconfigured since the position of the feed tray's cartridge stop and pawl angles in the top cover are different. The MAG features a pawl-type feeding mechanism that continues to move the feed link during both the rearward and forward cycles of the reciprocating bolt carrier, producing a smooth belt flow. The feeding mechanism's three pawls are actuated by

3300-631: Was first used in Canada for use as a coaxial MG in the Leopard C1 main battle tank. Since then, it has been used in the Canadian Forces with the designation the C6 GPMG , it is used primarily as a platoon level support weapon. One C6 machine gun is assigned to each Rifle platoon. The C6 GPMG is also mounted on a variety of vehicles, including the G-Wagon LUVW, LAV III, Coyote, Leopard C2, and CH-146 Griffon helicopter. In these vehicles,

3360-419: Was killed by Mossad with an FN MAG, redesigned to fire from a remote control. The modified MAG was powered by artificial intelligence, and weighed over a ton. All versions are licence-manufactured by FFV-Carl Gustaf . The Swedish abbreviation for kulspruta (machine gun, lit. "bullet sprayer") is Ksp . Strv is the abbreviation of Stridsvagn (battle tank). Kulspruta 58 : Ksp 58, adopted in 1958 using

3420-420: Was officially produced in 2006 and it was showcased in various foreign military expo conventions. The XY, 7.62 × 51 is a true copy of the FN MAG made with a wooden stock by Yunnan Xiyi Industry Company Limited. The German arms manufacturer, Heckler & Koch , whose 1999 to 2002 owner BAE Systems — as the result of a 1999 merger between British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems, Heckler & Koch

3480-540: Was owned by the resulting BAE Systems — had executed a midlife improvement program of the L7A1 (FN MAG 60.20 T3) to the upgraded L7A2 (FN MAG 60.20 T6) version under contract for the British Ministry of Defence, attempted to make their own variant of the FN MAG. It was designated the HK 221. This version is equipped with an iron sight line that consist of a rotary rear drum and hooded front post and Picatinny rail atop

3540-614: Was supposed to be issued to infantry platoons). The British Army and Royal Marines were issued with the L110A2 ( FN Minimi Para ) to replace the LSW as the light section support or fire support weapon. This uses the same NATO-standard 5.56×45mm ammunition as the L85 assault rifle. However a review of requirements led to the withdrawal of both the L110A2 LMG and L86A2 LSW from service in 2018, with

3600-503: Was the first Australian fatality of the war, and Russell was the first member of the SASR to have been killed in action since the Vietnam War . The two other members of the vehicle's crew were wounded in this incident, and the LRPV was destroyed. As a result of this incident, all of the remaining LRPVs were fitted with a "Survival Enhancement Kit", which consisted of armour plating beneath the vehicle and shock-absorbent seats. In 2003,

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