BATTLE BIELE REALIZED

摘要

One of the significant trends in the current Afghanistan fight is the troops' increasing use of semiautomatic 7.62mm NATO rifles. Most units have gone to some type of AR- or M14-based system and have largely replaced the 7.62mm bolt guns for all but stationary work. On a recent tour, I saw widespread use and appreciation of these marksman's and sniper rifles, in some cases to spectacular effect. But in nearly all cases, the weight of the system caused the rifles to be viewed as a support weapon, replacing perhaps a Squad Automatic Weapon, but rarely viewed simply as another primary weapon.