Predator-Inspired Ammo Backpack Cobbled Together By Soldiers In Afghanistan

[jamesrage]

I am surprised someone didn't come up with this years ago.


Predator-Inspired Ammo Backpack Cobbled Together By Soldiers In Afghanistan | TechCrunch
A group of Iowa National Guardsmen, fresh from a harrowing two-and-a-half-hour firefight in Afghanistan earlier this year, found itself questioning the effectiveness of some of their new equipment. They had been issued M240B light machine guns for support fire, but they found themselves constantly reloading with new 50-round belts, which necessitated a ammo bearer with a bunch of belts at the ready. “The ammunition sacks that came with it made it too cumbersome and heavy to carry over long, dismounted patrols and especially when climbing mountains. Initially, we came up with using 50-round belts and just reloading constantly, which led to lulls of fire and inefficiency,” said Staff Sgt Vincent Winkoski.

 

[apdst]

I am surprised someone didn't come up with this years ago.


Predator-Inspired Ammo Backpack Cobbled Together By Soldiers In Afghanistan | TechCrunch
A group of Iowa National Guardsmen, fresh from a harrowing two-and-a-half-hour firefight in Afghanistan earlier this year, found itself questioning the effectiveness of some of their new equipment. They had been issued M240B light machine guns for support fire, but they found themselves constantly reloading with new 50-round belts, which necessitated a ammo bearer with a bunch of belts at the ready. “The ammunition sacks that came with it made it too cumbersome and heavy to carry over long, dismounted patrols and especially when climbing mountains. Initially, we came up with using 50-round belts and just reloading constantly, which led to lulls of fire and inefficiency,” said Staff Sgt Vincent Winkoski.

Sounds like piss poor fire discipline to me. There's one thing you can count on with any weapon...it will run out of ammo at some point.

 

[jamesrage]

Sounds like piss poor fire discipline to me. There's one thing you can count on with any weapon...it will run out of ammo at some point.

As the old saying goes better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I think this will give them an advantage of not having to have an extra guy around to carry ammo or to have to worry about clipping on a new belt onto an almost expended 50 round belt.

 

[apdst]

As the old saying goes better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I think this will give them an advantage of not having to have an extra guy around to carry ammo or to have to worry about clipping on a new belt onto an almost expended 50 round belt.

In a light infantry unit everybody should be carrying a few hundred rounds of 7.62 ammo. Not only that, but the machine gunner and his assistant gunner shouldn't be running around the boonies with individual 50 rounds belts of ammo for the squad machine gun.

A fact of life in an infantry squad, is that the, "pig", is going to go down. Either it's going to run out of ammo, or meet with a stoppage of some kind. There should be SOP's in place on what actions to take when that occurs.

 

[Mycroft]

In my half a lifetime in the Army I saw similar examples of soldier ingenuity...from the use of C-ration cans as a belt guide on the M-60 to using chemical decontamination equipment to supply hot water to our unit showers.

Good Job, IANG!!

 

[samsmart]

I am surprised someone didn't come up with this years ago.


Predator-Inspired Ammo Backpack Cobbled Together By Soldiers In Afghanistan | TechCrunch
A group of Iowa National Guardsmen, fresh from a harrowing two-and-a-half-hour firefight in Afghanistan earlier this year, found itself questioning the effectiveness of some of their new equipment. They had been issued M240B light machine guns for support fire, but they found themselves constantly reloading with new 50-round belts, which necessitated a ammo bearer with a bunch of belts at the ready. “The ammunition sacks that came with it made it too cumbersome and heavy to carry over long, dismounted patrols and especially when climbing mountains. Initially, we came up with using 50-round belts and just reloading constantly, which led to lulls of fire and inefficiency,” said Staff Sgt Vincent Winkoski.

Personally, I'm just glad that for once soldier innovation took a front seat to the restrictions of government contracts to corporate providers of military equipment.

It's about time our military listened more to our soldiers than it does to defense industries.

 

[Sig]

Now, all they need is a portable handheld minigun:

​

 

[jamesrage]

In a light infantry unit everybody should be carrying a few hundred rounds of 7.62 ammo. Not only that, but the machine gunner and his assistant gunner shouldn't be running around the boonies with individual 50 rounds belts of ammo for the squad machine gun.

I would think that with a 500 round pack an assistance gunner wouldn't be an issue in a unit that is short of men. And if he does have an assistant gunner then his gunner can carry one of these packs too.

A fact of life in an infantry squad, is that the, "pig", is going to go down. Either it's going to run out of ammo, or meet with a stoppage of some kind. There should be SOP's in place on what actions to take when that occurs.

That has nothing to do with 500 round pack.

 

[jamesrage]

Now, all they need is a portable handheld minigun:

​

I would hate to be the poor bastard that would have to carry such a weapon. I think that would be more trouble than its worth. A battery pack to operate the mini-gun as well as a spare battery, the weight on the mini-gun as well as the ammo. I think the amount of assistant mini-gunners needed would make it inefficient. Because if you fire that mini-gun like in the movie you will run out of rounds quick.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Goes to show that sometimes the people who know best are the ones who do the dirty work and who have to deal with some desk-jockey's 'bright' idea.

LOL - what movie was it - the Gov wanted a 'full-use all purpose tank' and they kept reworking the ideas until it was so excessive it looked like something you'd find on in Transformers or Heavy Gear with Pepper packs, 50cals, subs and everything else.

 

[rathi]

This isn't new. Soldiers in Vietnam did the same thing calling it I believe a "deathmachine".

 

[samsmart]

LOL - what movie was it - the Gov wanted a 'full-use all purpose tank' and they kept reworking the ideas until it was so excessive it looked like something you'd find on in Transformers or Heavy Gear with Pepper packs, 50cals, subs and everything else.

"The Pentagon Wars" with Cary Elwes and Kelsey Grammar. It was a docu-comedy about the production of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Love that movie.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

"The Pentagon Wars" with Cary Elwes and Kelsey Grammar. It was a docu-comedy about the production of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Love that movie.

Thanks - I'll have to watch it again.

 

[samsmart]

Thanks - I'll have to watch it again.

Me too.

 

[Sig]

I would hate to be the poor bastard that would have to carry such a weapon. I think that would be more trouble than its worth. A battery pack to operate the mini-gun as well as a spare battery, the weight on the mini-gun as well as the ammo. I think the amount of assistant mini-gunners needed would make it inefficient. Because if you fire that mini-gun like in the movie you will run out of rounds quick.

Fortunately, Jesse was spared the bulky battery packs. You can't see it, but he actually has an extension cord running out of his pant leg to power the minigun.

 

[apdst]

I would think that with a 500 round pack an assistance gunner wouldn't be an issue in a unit that is short of men. And if he does have an assistant gunner then his gunner can carry one of these packs too.



That has nothing to do with 500 round pack.

The M-240 has a rate of fire of about 900 rounds per minute. The sustained rate is a little less. Let's say, 750-800 rounds per minute. The 500 round backpack has a little more than 30 seconds worth of ammo in it.

As I said, everyone is a light infantry squad/platoon, needs to be carrying a few hundred rounds of ammo for the squad machine gun.

 

[jamesrage]

The M-240 has a rate of fire of about 900 rounds per minute. The sustained rate is a little less. Let's say, 750-800 rounds per minute. The 500 round backpack has a little more than 30 seconds worth of ammo in it.

You are not going to fire off 750-800 rounds in one trigger squeeze.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

You are not going to fire off 750-800 rounds in one trigger squeeze.

Well - you shouldn't be, anyway

 

[apdst]

You are not going to fire off 750-800 rounds in one trigger squeeze.

No, you're not. But, machine gunner are trained to fire 3-5 second bursts. If a weapon can fire 900 rounds per minute and you fire a 5 second burst, you're touching off somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 rounds. Add the rush of combat to that and a gunner will pop off every bit of 500 rounds in a minute.

The whole point of a squad machine gun is to lay a ****load of fire power, with one weapon. If the pig isn't spitting out several hundred rounds a minute, then the squad doesn't have it's, "base of fire".

 

[jamesrage]

No, you're not. But, machine gunner are trained to fire 3-5 second bursts. If a weapon can fire 900 rounds per minute and you fire a 5 second burst, you're touching off somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 rounds. Add the rush of combat to that and a gunner will pop off every bit of 500 rounds in a minute.

The whole point of a squad machine gun is to lay a ****load of fire power, with one weapon. If the pig isn't spitting out several hundred rounds a minute, then the squad doesn't have it's, "base of fire".

I do not see what this has to do with you trying to knock the ammo pack.

 

[Mycroft]

I was intrigued by the reference to the "deathmachine" so I did some checking:



http://seahound1969.hp2.jp/wswu/seal/W.html

Some other interesting weapons at that link.

 

[apdst]

I do not see what this has to do with you trying to knock the ammo pack.

My point being, 500 rounds won't go far.

 

[jamesrage]

My point being, 500 rounds won't go far.

If there is an assistant gunner than that assistant gunner can carry extra ammo packs.No offense but you sounding like the guy who said no the troops do not need 30 round magazines for the m16 there are already 20 round magazines.

 

[Jerry]

My point being, 500 rounds won't go far.

In todays battlefield it's rare for a dismounted team to hump a 240B at all. When they do, it's most likely to set up security for a long halt, in which case the A-gunner and other squad members can bring more ammo. Additionally, other crew-served weapons can offer fire from the MRAPs.

 

[apdst]

If there is an assistant gunner than that assistant gunner can carry extra ammo packs.No offense but you sounding like the guy who said no the troops do not need 30 round magazines for the m16 there are already 20 round magazines.

No, I'm saying that this, "ammo pack", doesn't do jack **** and that it's the job of every soldier in the squad to hump extra ammo for the squad machine gun, because 500 rounds isn't going to last more than a couple of minutes in a fire fight and probably not that long.

The burden of carrying the MG ammo can't rest only on the machine gunner and his A-gunner, is the point.