Translation:Machinegun txt/en
Technical Specifications: MG12 Machine Gun
CLASSIFIED LEVEL YELLOW
PHALANX Extraterrestrial Response Unit
Technical Document, Delta Clearance
Filed: 20 March 2084
By: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
Overview
The alien attack on Mumbai made our situation painfully clear. Their technology is far more advanced than ours. The complete inability of Commonwealth troops to make a dent in the Mumbai offensive revealed critical weaknesses in current military training and equipment. They lost three battalions just bringing the aliens to a standstill without inflicting significant casualties. PHALANX has to overcome these odds, and to do that we need the very best human technology has to offer.
The Excalibur Program was created to find the most effective weapons on Earth by reviewing their manufacturing standards, durability, operational record, and their combat performance in the situations where we've managed to bring the aliens to battle.
The British SA-3000 GPG (General-Purpose Gun), colloquially known as the Great British Gun, is a versatile drum-fed machine gun that has seen service throughout the world in its 16-year operational life. First deployed in 2068, it quickly found its niche as a light machine gun for infantry and ground-support helicopters, able to be fired from the hip as easily as from a bipod or pintle mount.
The infantry version of the GPG is a highly versatile and reliable gun. Unlike most machine guns the GPG takes caseless ammunition from a large drum magazine instead of a belt. This limits fire rate and magazine endurance, but it's also the reason for the weapon's versatility. The reloading process for the GPG is almost as quick and easy as an assault rifle, and the drums contain 100 rounds each. This allows the GPG to be used almost as a heavy assault rifle. The magazines are on the bulky side, but still small and light enough for an average soldier to carry several of them into battle.
The gun contains surprisingly few computerised components, only a powerful recoil compensator and shock absorbing system. This helps to improve accuracy above that of older machine guns, although it's never going to be a sniper rifle. The solid design and sheer simplicity of its internals combine to make the GPG a very reliable weapon. It has seen action in Mumbai and performed admirably there, providing effective and highly mobile suppressive fire, sometimes capable of pinning down whole alien squads depending on the terrain.
The GPG fires the popular 4.7mm caseless round, also used in our AR-80 Assault Rifle. Unfortunately the magazines are not interchangeable between Assault Rifle and GPG, as the Assault Rifle uses a different feed system.
We feel that the GPG is the best candidate for our arsenal in the machine gun category. Our troops can depend on this gun to deliver heaps of fire when and where they need it most.
For PHALANX use, we have given this machine gun the classification MG12.
Recommended Doctrine
The MG12 will be an extremely valuable tool in controlling the battlefield. It can set up mobile strongpoints from which to stage attacks on alien positions, it can provide effective suppressive or diversionary fire from all ranges, or it can be used simply as a powerful medium-range assault weapon.
It should be a prime candidate for any soldier with heavy weapons training.
Addenda
None.