81mm Mortar

The L16A2 81mm mortar is a Battle group level indirect fire weapon which is capable of providing accurate high explosive, smoke and illuminating rounds out to a maximum range of 5650m. The mortar platoon, in mechanised and armoured infantry battalions, are mounted in and fire from armoured personnel carriers, increasing mobility and enabling rapid disengagement and movement to new fire positions.

Calibre Barrel length Muzzle velocity Maximum range Rate of fire Bomb weight

81mm 1280mm 225m/s 5,650m 15 rounds per minute 4.2kg

Weight 35.3kg (in action)

Combat Shotgun

The combat shotgun is used by the 'point man' of a section at close quarters within close country and complex terrain. It allows the soldier to apply a quick rapid rate of fire over a large area using a variety of ammunition natures. The Combat Shotgun is a semi-automatic, tubular magazine fed weapon cambered for the 12 gauge shot/shell cartridge.

The operating system employed is the improved ARGO (Auto-Regulating Gas Operated) Twin (two gas pistons/cylinders/ports) System with a rotating bolt head with dual locking lugs. It is fitted with an EOT tech sight, for use by day or night, a fixed iron sight and has a telescopic 3position extendable buttstock . The shotgun can be fitted with a single point elasticated sling or the issued rifle sling and can be fired from any of the conventional fire positions with the exception of the squatting position.

Range

Solid shot: 130m / buckshot: 40m

1010mm (extended Length buttstock) / 886mm (closed buttstock) Weight 3.8kg

Magazine

7 cartridge

Calibre 12 gauge (18.4mm) L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun

The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role. In the SF role, mounted on a tripod and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down 750 roundsper-minute at ranges up to 1800 metres.

The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun (LMG), although it has largely been replaced by the lighter 5.56 x 45mm Minimi in this role, in most regiments. A fold-out bipod is used to support the GPMG in the LMG role. Versions of the GPMG are mounted on most Army vehicles and some helicopters.

Calibre

7.62mm

13.85kg (gun plus 50-round Weight belt) Length Barrel length Muzzle velocity Feed 1230mm (light role) 629mm 838m/s 100-round disintegrating link belt

Effective range Cyclic rate of fire

800m light role, 1800m sustained fire role 750 rounds per minute

The Heckler & Koch 40mm Grenade Machine Gun

The Heckler & Koch 40mm Grenade Machine Gun (GMG) provides unrivalled infantry suppression combining the best characteristics of the heavy machine guns or light mortars usually employed in this role.

Conventional rifle ammunition provides no fragmentation effect and is largely not effective enough against advancing armoured infantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks. On the other hand, mortars have the disadvantage of a relatively low rate of fire. The GMG combines the advantages of both of these two types of weapons delivering high flexibility and firepower combined with the fragmentation effect of mortar

Rate of fire 340 rounds per minute

ammunition. The GMG is usually mounted on WIMIK (weapons mount installation kit) Land Rovers but can also be used from ground-based tripods.

Range

1.5km for point targets, 2km for area cover 40mm high velocity and high explosive grenades

Ammunition

L1A1 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun

The powerful L1A1 12.7mm (.50) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is an updated version of the Browning M2 Fifty-cal recognised as one of the finest heavy machine guns ever developed. The HMG provides integral close-range support from a ground-mount tripod or fitted to a Land Rover using the Weapon Mount Installation Kit (WMIK) and a variety of sighting systems. The performance of the HMG has recently been enhanced with a new 'soft mount', to limit recoil and improve accuracy, and a quick-change barrel.

The HMG provides the commander with added capability at greater ranges (15002000m) when support from armoured vehicles is not available.

Calibre Weight Length Muzzle velocity Feed Effective range

12.7mm 38.15kg (gun only) 1656mm 915m/s 50-round disintegrating belt 2000m

Cyclic 485 - 635 rounds per minute rate of fire

Light Anti-Structures Missile (LASM)

The Light Anti-Structures Missile (LASM) was developed as an Urgent Operational Requirement, which has been fielded to fill a capability gap until Anti-Structure Munition (ASM) comes into service. The single-shot weapon consists of a freeflight unguided rocket that is housed within a disposable telescopic launcher. The mechanical 'pop-up' sight is integral to the weapon and deploys when the launcher is extended, in preparing it to fire. The rocket consists of a warhead, fuse and propulsion unit. Spring-loaded fins deploy on firing to stabilise the rocket in

flight. The rocket uses kinetic energy to penetrate structures before the warhead is allowed to detonate. While the LASM is effective against light armour and soft-skinned vehicles, its primary use in Afghanistan is against fixed positions, bunkers and other buildings.

Range: Weight: Length: Firing length: Preparation time:

Approx. 500m 4.3kg 0.775m 0.98m 8 seconds

Light Machine Gun (LMG)

Developed from the Minimi Light Machine Gun following experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, the LMG is a belt-fed suppression weapon. It provides the section commander with the capability to impose sustained suppressive fire on to an objective out to 300m and increases the overall firepower available to the section commander. The LMG complements the Light Support Weapon and enhances the effectiveness

of all section weapons across the spectrum of infantry operations.

Calibre:

5.56mm

Weight: 7.1kg (8.5kg with 100 rounds) Length: Feed: Effective range: Cyclic rate of fire: Muzzle velocity: 914mm 100-round disintegrating belt 800m 700 to 1000 rounds per minute 875m/s

SA80 Individual Weapon

SA80 is the designation for a revolutionary family of assault weapons. On its introduction, it proved so accurate that the Army marksmanship tests had to be redesigned. SA80 A2 comprises the Individual Weapon (IW) and the Light Support Weapon (LSW). These are the British Army's standard combat weapons. Made by Heckler and Koch, they fire NATO standard 5.56 x 45mm ammunition. The SA80 can be fitted with the SUSAT sight and a Common Weapon Sight, which is a third generation Image Intensification (II) night sight. Both weapons have been modified in light of operational experience. A major mid-life update

in 2002 resulted in the SA80A2 series - the most reliable weapons of their type in the world. This reliability is combined with accuracy, versatility and ergonomic design. It is considered a firstclass weapon system and world leader in small arms.
Calibre: Weight: Length: Barrel length: Muzzle velocity: Feed: Effective range: Cyclic rate of fire: 5.56mm 4.98kg (with loaded magazine and optical sight) 785mm 518mm 940m/s 30-round magazine 400m 610-775 rpm

SA80 A2 Support Weapon (LSW)

SA80 A2 light support weapon (LSW) has a heavier and longer barrel than the AS80 individual weapon allowing greater muzzle velocity and accuracy. When fired from the integrated bipod and using the standard SUSAT sight, the LSW is accurate and consistent. It can fire 610 to 775 rounds per minute out to a range of 1000metres.

Calibre: Weight: Length: Barrel length: Muzzle velocity: Feed: Effective range: Cyclic rate of fire:

5.56mm 6.58kg (with loaded magazine and optical sight) 900mm 646mm 970m/s 30-round magazine 1000m 610 to 775 rounds per minute

L115A3 Long range sniper rifle

The L115A3 rifle, part of the Sniper System Improvement Programme (SSIP), is a large-calibre weapon which provides state-of-the-art telescopic day and night, all-weather sights, increasing a sniper's effective range considerably. The first batches of SSIPs were deployed to Afghanistan in May 2008. Designed to achieve a first-round hit at 600 metres and harassing fire out to 1,100 metres, Accuracy International's L96 sniper rifle has also been upgraded with a new x3-x12 x 50 sight and spotting scope.

The L115A3 long range rifle fires an 8.59mm bullet which is heavier than the 7.62mm round of the L96 and less likely to be deflected over extremely long ranges. Other elements of the Sniper System Improvement Programme include night sights, spotting scopes, laser range finders and tripods.

Calibre Weight Length Muzzle velocity Feed Effective range

8.59mm 6.8kg 1300mm 936m/s 5-round box 1100m plus

L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle

A sharpshooter rifle based on Law Enforcement Internationals 7.62-mm calibre LM7 was chosen by the MoD as a replacement for the AI L96 used by designated marksmen/sharpshooters. The L129A1 7.6251mm calibre, longer range (800 m), semi-automatic rifle, will replace the bolt action Accuracy International L96 in the Sharpshooter role. A total of 440 Sharpshooter rifles have been bought as a 1.5m urgent operational requirement. It is the first new infantry combat rifle to be issued for more than 20 years. The standard weapon sight is the with ACOG 400 of them on order.