The U.S. Special Operations Command announced that it has placed an order of new MK46 and MK48 light machine guns.
On August 31, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced that it awarded a $13.4 million contract to FN America LLC for the production of MK46 and MK48 light machine guns, spare parts and engineering services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command.
Work scheduled for completion in August 2023 and will be performed in Columbia, South Carolina (85 percent); and Herstal, Belgium (15 percent).
The MK46 is a belt-fed lightweight machine gun, a variant of variant of the M249 SAW light machine gun that has been designed by Fabrique Nationale (FN) tailored specifically for use by United States special operations forces (SOF).
A Look at MK46 and MK48 Light Machine Gun
- It uses 5.56x45mm ammunition.
- The larger MK 48 complements the MK46 with a larger rifle-caliber 7.62x51mm cartridge and has longer-range penetrative capabilities.
The two guns have been designed to be light but compact enough, to enable fast-moving troops maneuver on the ground and on close range with the enemy.
The MK48 has been manufactured in collaboration with the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), which has accepted the gun and started its fielding process, especially deployed to the special operations units.
