The U.S. Marines have been undergoing a series of experiments that utilize suppressors on all of their weapons—everything from M4 rifles to .50-caliber machine guns. The tests have been conducted by the Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines.
"What we've found so far is it revolutionizes the way we fight," noted Maj. Gen. John Love. "It used to be a squad would be dispersed out over maybe 100 yards, so the squad leader couldn't really communicate with the members at the far end because of all the noise of the weapons. Now they can actually just communicate, and be able to command and control and effectively direct those fires."
As the military units conduct training and exercises over the next year and a half, the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab will be gathering and analyzing the data. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade is expecting successful results. "When I show how much overmatch we gain … it will have sold itself," he said.
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