The M4/.223 debate continues
Aviation Week reports that last week the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier, Brig. Gen. Mark Brown weighed in on the M4/.223 issue:
“I don’t think we need an unhealthy, discordant debate over the current carbine because I don’t think the current carbine is a long-lived solution anyway. However, the M4 carbine has been continuously improved. It has 68 substantial engineering design changes and about 380 total engineering design changes, so it’s become a modular system. It’s very accurate, it’s the most accurate of the carbines, it’s the lightest of the carbines, and it’s the shortest of the carbines. We’re very pleased with it, and we expect it to be the Army’s carbine of record, for a little while.”
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Miller, thanks for your insight. Especially with your experience.
Jcamelo, please do not write inflammatory statements on my blog. This blog is for discussion not arguments.
Steve, I didn't find Jcamelo's comments inflamatory. I value his opinions, and I hope I hear more from him. But I can imagine that you, who deal with a lot of stuff every day, need to set your own standards.
More interesting, I'd agree that there are "better" assault rifles out there. I own an M4 because I know how to use it, ammunition is easy to find and not that expensive, parts are available and so forth.
Considering that, just imagine if you already owned a million of them together with all the stuff that goes with them. Would you just get rid of them because there is something "better"?
Off hand, I can think of several reasons why you wouldn't. You have huge inventories of ammunition and spare parts. You have a lot invested in training programs, appropriate ranges and experience. And, you have a lot of weapons that are still useful.
I'd be interested to hear what others can come up with. And how much "better" does the replacement have to be before you do (oh, forgive me, I can't help myself) pull the trigger on the change?
Miller