The Squad Heavy Weapon

The Squad Heavy Weapon is a design that replaces several current weapon systems.  It gives an infantry squad a replacement for light and heavy machine guns, by providing a long-range airburst capability that serves all contemporary functions of the machine gun with the increased psychological affect of an explosion.  It also replaces a grenade launcher with the same air bursting rounds, with HEAT, HESH and HE rounds.  The Squad Heavy Weapon replaces rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank rockets.  The Squad Heavy Weapons semi-automatic fire and large ammunition load can lay down precision devastating force, while utilizing only 20, 30, or 40 mm calibers. 

 

40-mm Squad Heavy Weapon shown from opposing sides

The Squad Heavy Weapon is shoulder-operated with a recoilless nozzle extending from the rear.  The handles of the weapon are offset to either side of the barrel, to allow for multiple clips to be placed under the length of the barrel.  This allows for a large ammunition load, as each clip is emptied, it ejects itself and the next clip advances.  The weapon is loaded from the front and an advancing spring is reset by pumping a handle, this allows for cyclical firing as the weapon loads from one end and expels spent clips from the other.

A weapon with 40 mm or even 30 mm rounds would have an extremely long stand off range.  Putting a volley of 40 mm rounds down range will easily deal with large threats such as garrison structures and armored vehicles.  Accuracy and range can be increased in the future with the miniaturization of guidance systems.  A guided 40 mm Squad Heavy Weapon would act as a capable man portable artillery system, and man portable air defense system.  These upgrades will insure the Squad Heavy Weapon is a potent threat well into the future.