Taden gun
| TADEN machine gun | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light machine gun |
| Place of origin |
 United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1951 |
| Used by | UK |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 889 mm |
| Barrel length | 623 mm |
|
| |
| Cartridge | 7mm Mk1Z (7 x 43 mm) |
| Calibre | .276 (7 mm) |
| Action | gas operation |
| Rate of fire | 450 to 600 round/min |
| Feed system | Belt |
| Sights | Fixed |
The TADEN was a British experimental light machine gun firing the .280 in (7 mm) intermediate round. Alongside the bullpup EM-2 rifle design, it formed part of a proposal to reequip the British Army with new small arms which would use a round smaller than the .303 inch which was shown to be impractical for use in a modern assault rifle.
The Taden would replace the Bren gun as the light machine gun and the Vickers machine gun as the medium machine gun. The Taden used elements of the Bren. The EM-2 would replace the Lee-Enfield rifle and 9 mm submachine guns.
The TADEN and EM-2 projects were discontinued when the United States Army refused to consider the .280 cartridge for the new NATO standard on the basis that it was less powerful than their .30-06 Springfield round (and, as others have suggested,[1] the reluctance to adopt a round developed outside the USA).
It was decided that the TADEN and EM-2 could not realistically be reworked to take the new NATO round and alternatives were sought. The British Army reequipped with licence-built variants of the Belgian 7.62 mm FN MAG and FN FAL respectively. A belt fed derivative of the Bren gun had been considered for the GPMG role, but although not selected the Bren was kept on after adaptation to use the NATO round.
Notes and references
- ↑ Hogg, Machine Guns, p.172: "Not Invented Here".
- Hogg, Ian (2002). Machine Guns: 14th Century to Present. DBI Books. ISBN 0-87349-288-9.