MK19 40-mm machinegun MOD 3

MK19 40-mm machinegun MOD 3

The automatic grenade launcher was developed during the Vietnam War for use by the US Navy for waterborne operations. After the war, a Product Improvement Program eventually led to the development of the MK19 40-mm machinegun. The MK19 is blowback operated and fully automatic. It is capable of engaging hard and soft targets over two clicks away. It fires a variety of rounds. The HEDP 40-mm grenade will pierce armor up to two inches thick. When used against troops in the open, the grenade has a kill radius of five meters, and a wound radius of fifteen meters.

During Task Force Ranger, the mission to Somalia in 1993, the MK19 was mounted on Humvees. Presently, the MK19 is mounted on the Ranger Special Operations Vehicle (RSOV), a modified Land Rover, for classic Ranger missions such as airfield seizures. It can also be carried short distances and set-up with a tripod mount. For night operations, the AN/TVS-5 night vision sight is available.

by Tim Davis

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