The weaponry of the future Marine Corps Rifle Squad explained
Travis Pike | October 21, 2021
The Marine Corps is rolling into the future, stripping armor assets, and streamlining their approach to warfare. The Marine Rifle Squad, in particular, has seen a unique update that’s changed its basic composition from 13 Marines to 15 Marines. Besides adding two Marines to the squad, their arsenal has also been updated with lighter, more lethal weapon options. In part 2 of our analysis of the Future of the Marine Corps Rifle Squad, we are taking a peek at their new arsenal.
Read Part 1: The future Marine Rifle Squad as explained by a machine gunner
The Marine Rifle Squad – Weaponry
The Marine Rifle Squad has made four changes to its weaponry loadout. These changes streamlined the squad’s firepower and gave the basic rifle squad better capabilities for modern warfare. The focus seems to be on making the individual squad more autonomous and more capable, which aligns with the structure update of the Marine Rifle Squad.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Emma L. Gray)
M27 IAR
Infantry forces in the United States Marine Corps have universally adopted the M27 IAR. Gone are the M4s and M16A4s, which dominated the squad back in my day. IAR stands for infantry automatic rifle, and the original intent was to replace the M249 SAW with a lightweight weapon that utilized the same standard magazines as the M4 and M16A4 series.
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