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The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW): The Infantry’s Firepower Workhorse​​

The M249 SAW (officially the M249 Light Machine Gun/Squad Automatic Weapon) is a iconic 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, designed to provide infantry squads with sustained automatic firepower. Developed by Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal (based on their FN Minimi prototype) and adopted by the U.S. military in the 1980s, it remains a cornerstone of modern infantry support, replacing older platforms like the M60 machine gun.

Lightweight and versatile, the M249 weighs just 7.5 kg (16.5 lbs) unloaded, with a folding buttstock and a 1,040 mm (41-inch) overall length. Its gas-operated action and quick-change barrel ensure reliability in harsh conditions—from desert dust to jungle mud—while a cyclic rate of 750–1,000 rounds per minute delivers rapid, suppressive fire. Unlike many machine guns, it can fire from both linked belts (100- or 200-round) or standard 30-round STANAG magazines, adapting to battlefield needs.

A key innovation is its role as a ​​squad automatic weapon​​: assigned to one soldier per infantry squad, it bridges the gap between rifles and heavier machine guns, providing covering fire during assaults, breaching, or defense. Its portability allows it to be fired from the hip or shoulder, unlike bulkier belt-fed guns, making it ideal for close-quarters combat (CQB) and mobile operations.

Widely fielded by U.S. forces since the Gulf War, the M249 has seen action in conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq, praised for its simplicity, ruggedness, and ability to sustain fire under pressure. Even as modern firearms evolve, the M249 endures as a symbol of infantry firepower, ensuring small units retain the edge in dynamic combat.