http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/mk19.htm
MK19 40mm Machine Gun, MOD 3
The MK-19 (Mod 3) Automatic Grenade Launcher/Machine Gun is a selfpowered, air-cooled, belt-fed, blowback operated, crew-served weapon. The MK-19 replaces or augments selected M2 .50 caliber Machine Guns throughout the Army. It is also in use by the US Navy, Marines and Air Force. The MK-19 is mounted on HMMWV's, trucks and M88 Recovery Vehicles to deliver intense suppressive fire against enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles or bunkers.
The MK19 Mod3 40mm Grenade Machine Gun was first developed by the Navy in the early 1960's. TACOM-ARDEC has since suggested modifications to this system which has enabled the Army to deploy the MK19 in the harsh environments encountered during world-wide operations and has therefore enhanced its performance. The MK19 firing rate is over 350 grenades per minute and it is effective to ranges of over 2200 meters. The system was deployed in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm and devastated enemy infantry.
The MK19 40mm machine gun, MOD 3 is an air-cooled, disintegrating metallic link-belt fed, blowback operated, fully automatic weapon and is crew transportable over short distances with limited amounts of ammunition. It can fire a variety of 40mm grenades. The M430 HEDP 40mm grenade will pierce armor up to 2 inches thick, and will produce fragments to kill personnel within 5 meters and wound personnel within 15 meters of the point of impact. Associated components are: MK64 Cradle Mount, MOD 5; M3 Tripod Mount; and the AN/TVS-5 Night Vision Sight. The MK19 also mounts in the up-gunned weapons station of the LVTP7A1 model of the AAV and vehicle ring mounts.
Many antiarmor platoons have the capability to replace the TOW weapon system with either an MK19 (40-mm grenade machine gun) or the M2 (caliber .50 machine gun). This allows the platoon to provide fire support when there is no threat of enemy armor. Both of these weapon systems can be fired from the HMMWV, using the HMMWV interchangeable mount system (HIMS) and also ground mounted on a tripod.
The MKI9 is effective at 1,500 meters against point targets and out to 2,200 meters against area targets. The weapon has a sustained rate of fire of 40 rounds each minute and a rapid rate of fire of 60 rounds each minute. The weapon system (gun, tripod, and T&E) weighs about 120 pounds. A container of 48 rounds weighs 64 pounds. The weight of this system precludes manpacking for other than short distances. The AN/TVS-5 can be mounted on the weapon to provide effective night fires.
The standard round of ammunition is HEDP, which can defeat 50-mm of RHA or 16 inches of concrete. An HE round is also available for engaging troops in the open or other soft targets. Both rounds have a bursting radius of 15 meters and a flat trajectory out to 800 meters. The weapon can be employed in an indirect-fire role to engage targets from 800 meters out to the maximum effective range. The methods of controlling indirect fires is the same as the 60-mm mortar--direct lay, direct alignment, or an observer to provide corrections and the use of the T&E mechanism to apply these corrections to the gun.
In the offense, the MK19 can be employed similar to the 60-mm mortar in the indirect-fire role and similar to the TOW in the direct-fire role. The MK19 can be employed from an overmatch position to provide responsive suppressive fires if enemy contact is made. The weapon can also suppress/destroy enemy weapons and positions on the objective prior to the infantry assault. It may also support the isolation of the objective area by blocking likely avenues of approach with concentrated destructive fires. When employed from the M3 tripod with the T&E, the gun is very accurate for an area type weapon.
In the defense, the MKI9 can be effective in both the direct and indirect-fire roles. It can be assigned a priority target or an FPF just like a 60-mm mortar. The enemy will attempt to locate and destroy these weapons early in his attack. Unless the MK19s are employed from defilade/fire from prepared dug-in firing positions, they are very vulnerable. The mobility capability for the MK19 when mounted on the HMMWV must be balanced against the vehicle's vulnerability to detection, and destruction.
Although the MK 19 is a recent entry into the Army guns inventory, development began in 1963. The first version was a hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher called the MK 18. In 1966, the need for more fire power inspired the development of a self-powered 40-mm machine gun called the MK 19 MOD 0. This model was neither reliable enough nor safe enough for use as a military gun. Product improvements begun in 1971 resulted in the 1972 MOD 1, of which only six were produced. The MOD 1 performed effectively in Navy riverine patrol craft, and broader applications for the MK 19 were found. In 1973, the Navy developed the MOD 2, which featured improved reliability, safety and maintainability. In 1976, a complete redesign resulted in the MK 19 MOD 3, which the Army adopted in 1983. The Army uses the MK 19 within the tactical environment for defense, retrograde, patrolling, rear area security, MOUT, and special operations.
One of the ARNG critical readiness requirements is small arms and crew-served weapons modernization. With the advent of Army Transformation to Units of Action (UA's) the ARNG has currently documented shortfall of 3,377 MK-19's. Operational requirements resulting from the GWOT have resulted in extensive unit-to-unit transfers of MK-19's to deploying units. M2 .50 calber machine guns and operational barrels are also in short supply. As the primary supressive weapon for CS and CSS any shortage of these weapons is critical.
The RDD validates an ARNG requirement by 2005 for 9,159 MK-19's at a cost of $15.5k each. On hand are 5,782 MK-19's, the majority of which are deployed. Fielding to fill the previous ARNG requirement was completed in 2003 and the new increased requirement has not yet been programmed. The MK-19 UFR is 3,377 and may increase as ARNG modularity above UA level is documented. The only alternative weapon systems are the XM-307/312 Advanced Crew Served (Air-burst) Weapons which are still under development with no projected fielding date.
Funding the MK-19 will give National Guard Soldiers the same capability as Active Army Forces to deploy and operate with maximum effectiveness on all fronts of the Global war on Terror. It greatly contributes to their ability to rapidly defend themselves with high volume, suppressive fire in adverse conditions. Failure to fund the MK-19 will increase soldier risk and the costs of pre-deployment cross-leveling, which also degrades the ARNG's ability to train for and execute both its federal and state missions.
Manufacturer: Saco Defense Industries
Length: 43.1 inches (109.47 centimeters)
Weight:
Gun: 72.5 pounds (32.92 kilograms)
Cradle (MK64 Mod 5): 21.0 pounds (9.53 kilograms)
Tripod: 44.0 pounds (19.98 kilograms)
Total: 137.5 pounds (62.43 kilograms)
Muzzle velocity: 790 feet (240.69 meters) per second
Bore diameter: 40mm
Maximum range: 2200 meters
Maximum effective range: 1600 meters
Rates of fire:
Cyclic: 325-375 rounds per minute
Rapid: 60 rounds per minute
Sustained: 40 rounds per minute
Unit Replacement Cost: $13,758
