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Weapons System

M249 SAW

Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, formally the Light Machine Gun 5.56 mm M249, is an adaptation by the United States military of the Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun. Adopted in 1982 and issued to the Army from 1984 and the Marine Corps from 1985, it was designed to give an infantry squad sustained automatic fire with the rate of a machine gun and the portability of a rifle. It is gas operated and air cooled, has a quick change barrel, and can fire from a linked ammunition belt or accept the same STANAG magazines used in the M16 and M4. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Weapon Class
Light machine gun 1
Weapon Class
light machine gun (gas operated, air cooled) 1
Introduced Year
1982 1
Introduced Year
1984 2
Classification
Caliber
5.56x45mm NATO 1
Service Status
In Service 1
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Machine Gun 1
FAQs

How does the M249 SAW cope with an overheated barrel?

It has a quick change barrel that the gunner can replace quickly.

The M249 is a gas operated, air cooled light machine gun. It has a quick change barrel that allows the gunner to quickly replace an overheated or jammed barrel.
Connections

Associated With

Gulf War, Wars

The M249 squad automatic weapon provided suppressive fire for American infantry squads during the Gulf War

Operated By

Australian Defence Force, Armed Forces and Units
Source MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG
Brazilian Army, Armed Forces and Units
Source MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG
Canadian Armed Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG
Egyptian Armed Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG
French Armed Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG

Used In

Bosnian War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Gulf War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Iraq War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Kosovo War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Syrian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), Wars
Source Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

FN Herstal

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: M249 SAW
Sources
1. Wikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
  • Infobox, Type field
    Light machine gun
  • Lead section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M249_Squad_Automatic_Weapon
    is the United States Armed Forces adaptation of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun designed and manufactured by FN Herstal.
  • Adoption history section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M249_Squad_Automatic_Weapon
    It was adopted in 1982 by the U.S. Armed Forces to address the lack of sustained automatic fire capability at the squad level and has been widely used since.
  • Introduction, adoption sentence
    It was adopted in 1982 by the U.S. Armed Forces to address the lack of sustained automatic fire capability at the squad level.
  • Article text
    Army service as the M249 SAW in 1984, and was later adopted by the U.S.
  • Article text
    A month later, Frankford Arsenal decided on two cartridge designs for the new LMG: a 6 mm cartridge and a new 5.56 mm cartridge with a much larger case.
  • Infobox: cartridge
    5.56×45mm NATO
  • Infobox: service
    1984-present
  • Caliber attribute (m249-saw)
    The M249, officially the Squad Automatic Weapon or SAW, is an American light machine gun adopted by the United States military in 1984, a licensed and modified version of the Belgian FN Minimi, chambered in 5.56x45mm and capable of firing either from a disintegrating belt or, in a pinch, from standard M16-pattern box magazines.
  • Used In: Gulf War, infobox wars field: 'Gulf War'
  • Used In: Bosnian War, infobox wars field: 'Bosnian War'
  • Used In: Kosovo War, infobox wars field: 'Kosovo War'
  • Used In: War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), infobox wars field: 'War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)'
  • Used In: Iraq War, infobox wars field: 'Iraq War'
  • Used In: Syrian Civil War, infobox wars field: 'Syrian Civil War'
  • In Group: Light Machine Guns, Infobox: type
    Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon
View the Source
2. Wikidata: M249 SAW
Wikidata Q690620, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
MilitaryFactory.com: Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG
MilitaryFactory.com
  • Operated By: Australian Defence Force, Operators
    [ Afghanistan; Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; France; Greece; Hungary; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; India; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Latvia; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam ]
  • Operated By: Brazilian Army, Operators
    [ Afghanistan; Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; France; Greece; Hungary; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; India; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Latvia; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam ]
  • Operated By: Canadian Armed Forces, Operators
    [ Afghanistan; Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; France; Greece; Hungary; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; India; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Latvia; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam ]
  • Operated By: Egyptian Armed Forces, Operators
    [ Afghanistan; Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; France; Greece; Hungary; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; India; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Latvia; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam ]
  • Operated By: French Armed Forces, Operators
    [ Afghanistan; Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; France; Greece; Hungary; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; India; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Latvia; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Vietnam ]
View the Source
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