The commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command has explained why the Corps is going to adopt the Army’s M17/M18 Modular Handgun System.

Speaking at the recent Sea-Air-Space exposition, held at National Harbor, Maryland, Brigadier General Joseph Shrader, the commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, told Military.com why the Corps would adopt the Modular Handgun System already adopted by the Army:

Frankly we have been asked by Congress to do that — if the Army is going to go one way with something, the Marine Corps should have a good reason not to go the same way.

Back in March it emerged that the Marine Corps would be adopting the pistol selected by the Army to replace the M9. According to their 2019 Fiscal Year Budget Estimates Justification Book the USMC has budgeted over $6 million for 35,000 Modular Handgun System pistols.

The Corps’ 2019 Budget Estimates justified the adoption of the new pistol, stating:

The Modular Handgun System will be purchased to replace the legacy M9, M9A1, M45A1, and M007 pistols with a more affordable and efficient pistol for maintenance. The MHS also provides modularity and greater shooter ergonomics over the current models which will allow for more accurate fire for military personnel of different sizes.

The Corps’ position essentially boils down to money, Shrader continued:

In a lot of our decisions, one of the things that really factors into the calculus very strongly is, what’s the Army doing, and does it make sense for the Marine Corps to go that way with them. Or are there enough compelling reasons — operational, business, all those things we look at — that we stay our own path.

The next major question for the Corps is whether to adopt the full sized M17 or the compact M18, Shrader explained: “I know that we are looking at the compact version, I just don’t know whether they have made that decision.”

Source:

‘Marine Leaders Explain Corps’ Decision to Buy Army’s New Pistol’, Military.com, retrieved 24/04/18, from source