Division's aim is more humvee firepower
Marine Corps News ^ | March 4, 2004 | Lance Cpl. Samuel Palmer
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(March 4, 2004) --
Heavily armed humvees are in the marine corps' future but will they
come soon enough to help marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom?
If Maj. Gregory G. Frich has his way, they will.
"Our intent is to make this mount available for OIF II as soon as
possible," Frich, 1st marine division's ordnance officer, said about a
prototype mount that allows attachment of several crew-served machine
guns on vehicle doors.
The idea for the mount was spawned during Operation Iraqi Freedom,
when marines riding through Iraqi towns in humvees at times ran
gauntlets of rifle, machine-gun and rocket-propelled-grenade fire.
Sometimes the enemy fire came against softback humvees with no mounted
weapons.
"This has the potential to change the way (marines) conduct themselves
while under enemy fire in a convoy," said Cpl. David R. Conwan, a
machine-gun instructor for 1st marine division schools. "It allows
marines to maneuver during any hasty situations that they might find
themselves in a humvee."
"It has potential not only to return rounds but also to deter enemy
fire to convoys," added Sgt. Joel D. Ramsey, another machine-gun
instructor.
The division has been testing the mount for the past month. Testing
didn't go smoothly at first; machine-gun instructors rejected the first
two prototypes before the third passed a series of field tests.
"The first model that we tested was awkward to shoot with, so we made
suggestions to make it easier for use, and within a week, we had a new
one to test," Ramsey said.
The mount includes two components that can be installed and removed
within a matter of seconds, Ramsey said. The main element has two
1-foot-long metal arms with a cradle that holds the machine guns and
ammunition.
There's a bar so the mount can slide along the vehicle. The third
component, the door adapter, is attached to the humvee but
unnoticeable.
"The machinist has been cooperative with our suggestions. He takes
what we have to say, then he brings it back to us improved and in a
timely fashion," Conwan said.
Mass production can begin as soon as the mounts are approved, Frich
said. The approval process for new items is complex and could delay
installation of the mounts on vehicles in Iraq, Frich said.
Approval could take anywhere from three weeks to three years, he said.
"It's difficult to determine how long it can take," he said. "There
are so many considerations for final acquisitions approval."
