The Mk-19 Automatic 40mm Grenade Launcher Is a Beast

[rangerrebew]

 
The Mk-19 Automatic 40mm Grenade Launcher Is a Beast
Story by Christian Orr • Yesterday 4:02 PM
 
We at 19FortyFive have recently published our fair share of articles about grenade launchers, from the venerable M203 40mm grenade launcher to the ‘203’s intended replacement weapons systems such as Precision Grenadier System (PGS) and the XM25 "Punisher".

But for sheer awesomeness, badas*ery, and ability to rain hellfire and brimstone upon the enemy, none of those can compare to the Mk-19 automatic grenade launcher (although, granted, those first three weapons do have the advantage of man-portability).

Mk-19 Origins and Specifications
Hard to believe as it may seem, the Mk-19 is actually a Vietnam War-vintage weapon, designed way back in 1966 and went into production in 1968, one year before the M203 did so.
 
The upgraded Mod 1, Mod 2, and Mod 3 were developed in 1971, 1974, and 1976 respectively; the Mod 3It is manufactured by Saco Defense Industries, which was acquired in 2000 by General Dynamics. Unit production cost is a mere $20,000.00 USD, which is absolute chump change compared to military budgetary boondoggles such as, say, the F-35. As noted by Eric Sof of Spec Ops Magazine:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-mk-19-automatic-40mm-grenade-launcher-is-a-beast/ar-AA18vPNZ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=485ffb9a66ec4f68849174a1e39b90c7&ei=29

[PeteS in CA]

... Unit production cost is a mere $20,000.00 USD, which is absolute chump change compared to military budgetary boondoggles such as, say, the F-35. ...

Was this apples-to-kelp comparison supposed to be a serious comment?

The F-35's combat radius on internal fuel only is over 600 miles, and can be much greater with in-flight refueling. What's the Mk-19's effective range? A few hundred yards?

Per W'pedia, the F-35 can carry:

Armament
Guns: 1 × 25 mm GAU-22/A 4-barrel rotary cannon, 180 rounds[N 16]

Hardpoints: 4 × internal stations, 6 × external stations on wings with a capacity of 5,700 pounds (2,600 kg) internal, 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) external, 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) total weapons payload, with provisions to carry combinations of:

Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
AIM-9X Sidewinder
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-132 ASRAAM
AIM-260 JATM (To be integrated)[471]
MBDA Meteor (Block 4, for F-35B, not before 2027)[472][173][473]

Air-to-surface missiles:
AGM-88G AARGM-ER (Block 4)
AGM-158 JASSM[166]
AGM-179 JAGM
SPEAR 3 (Block 4, in development, integration contracted)[160][473]

Anti-ship missiles:
AGM-158C LRASM[474] (being integrated)
Joint Strike Missile (integration in progress)[475]

Bombs:
Joint Direct Attack Munition
Paveway
Precision-guided glide bomb:
AGM-154 JSOW
GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb
GBU-53/B StormBreaker
B61 mod 12 nuclear bomb[476] (being certified)

How many 40 mm grenades could a squad carry? Enough to be the equivalent of a single 500 lb. or 1000 lb. JDAM or JSOW (whose effective ranges are in miles, not 10s or 100s of yards)?

Grenade launchers and fighter-attack planes are very different weapons with very different costs and capabilities. Silly comparisons like that mar the credibility of the article writer.