Heckler & Koch GMG

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Heckler & Koch's automatic grenade launcher is the Granatmaschinenwaffe (HK GMW) or grenade machine gun (HK GMG) It fires 40mm grenades at a rate of about 360 rounds per minute. The GMG is belt-fed, and can be loaded from either side, making it ambidextrous. With a variety of sights available (including night-vision & infrared types) the GMG can be used for accurate, long range bombardments in a large number and types of situations.

The weapon itself is 1.09 m long (the barrel is 415 mm, and the ammunition box has dimensions of 470x160x250mm). The gun operates on a recoil operated blow back basis. It weighs 29 kg; the tripod is an additional 11 kg.

[edit] Usage

• The German Army uses the GMG on armoured vehicles and as main armament on the Fennek and Boxer MRAV.
• In late 2006 the British Ministry of Defence placed an order for an initial batch of 40 GMGs to be fitted on "Wimik" (Weapons Mount Installation Kit) Land Rovers used by the Royal Marines operating in Afghanistan.
• The HK GMG is also used by the Irish army rangers.
• The Dutch Army bought 18 as an operational requirement in 2006, the Dutch Battlegroup in Afghanistan has received 11 GMGs, the Dutch Special Forces has received four. The remaining three are for training purposes and are in the Netherlands.
• Finland has purchased the weapon for city-, special-, and coast jaeger companies and refers to it as 40 KRKK 2005 (Kranaattikonekivääri)
• The HK GMG was tested in the Yuma desert in Arizona in 1997 in order to compete for future U.S. contracts.

[edit] See also

• Mk 19 Grenade Launcher, similar weapon used by the US armed forces
• Mk 47 Mod 0 Stryker, similar weapon being tested by the US armed forces
• XM307 ACSW, similar weapon being tested by the US armed forces
• Vektor Y3 AGL, similar weapon of South African origin

[edit] External links

• HKPro The 40mm GMG
• HKPro (QuickTime movie showing the GMG in action)
• Heckler-Koch.de (product page)