Recently, the Schleswig-Holstein State Command of the German Bundeswehr is training the first batch of MG5 machine gun seed instructors. The German army is gradually installing the MG5 7.62×51mm machine gun to replace the MG3 machine gun of the same caliber. The MG3 machine gun began to be installed in the Bundeswehr in 1969. In addition to being used for squad weapons, it is also widely used for vehicle-mounted weapons to provide soldiers with support firepower or air defense firepower. In the 50 years of service, MG3 has won the trust of generations of German soldiers with its outstanding performance. MG5 wants to replace this classic weapon, from the perspective of the German Ministry of Defense, it will bear considerable pressure.
MG5 is different from any machine gun equipped by the German army in the past. It is painted in sand. The colors of the receiver cover, barrel heat shield, small grip and other parts are different from the receiver. Such color difference is said to improve concealment. . The MG5 machine gun was developed by the Heckler-Koch company, and the commercial code is HK121. In 2014, the German army announced the official installation of HK121, HK121 U is MG5 (general purpose), HK121 EBW is MG5 A1 (vehicle type), and HK121 I is MG5 A2 (infantry type, as shown), HK121 S is MG5 S (special forces type). The MG5 that
first debuted is a general-purpose type, and the German army is equipped with the largest MG5 A2 infantry type. Compared with the general-purpose type (the empty gun weighs 11.2 kg), the infantry type has a shorter barrel and a longitudinal groove, and is equipped with a lightweight folding retractable butt. After this weight reduction, MG5 A2 (with an empty gun weighing 9.9 kg) can be incorporated into the squad as an important support firepower. Unlike other countries’ military units that generally install small-caliber squad guns, the German squad’s machine guns are medium-caliber, which is superior in terms of firepower.
uses the MG5 as a machine gun for the squad, which is more of a continuation of traditional combat thinking. In fact, Heckler Koch has successfully developed a 5.56×45mm MG4 machine gun, but the German army did not install it in large numbers after testing. Instead, I saw the MG5 amplified by MG4. After rigorous testing, the MG5 became a German standard equipment. This time the training is all shooting instructors from various units. They have very rich experience in weapon operation. Here they will receive professional training, and then will return to the army as seed instructors to train other machine gunners.
These instructors are not young anymore. Some have a beer belly and may not be able to run 5000 meters, but compared to the shooting skills of machine guns, I am afraid that some senior shooters cannot compare with them. The biggest problem they face may be that the MG5 is equipped with an optical sight, which is very different from the mechanical sight used by the MG3 in terms of operating habits. However, MG5's lighter weight, advanced ergonomics design, and lower rate of fire (three gears of 600, 700, and 800 rounds per minute can be set) make these instructors feel that MG5 is very controllable. The
MG5 casing is made of alloy steel precision casting, which is very strong and can meet the rough usage requirements under any harsh conditions. The standard configuration of the MG5 machine gun is the ZO 4×30 i scope developed by Hensoldt. This is a 4x scope that can meet the needs of mid-range aiming. There is also a Picatinny rail on the top of the scope, and other accessories can be installed. A red dot sight is usually installed to aim at a fast-moving target at close range, and it can also be used as a backup for a 4x sight.
Judging from the video previously released by the German Ministry of Defense, the MG5 has excellent shooting accuracy and can effectively suppress individual targets at mid-range. The MG5 can also use the tripod of the MG3 machine gun, but it is usually a light machine gun. The core of the German infantry squad is this MG5 machine gun, so it is very important to ensure that machine gunners receive professional system training. From this perspective, Schleswig-Holstein State Headquarters first trained seed instructors before distributing MG5 machine guns, which is really worth learning.
This is a propaganda photo released by the German Federal Ministry of Defense some time ago. The deputy squad leader of the German infantry squad directly commanded and followed the machine gun team, used the VECTOR telescope to search for the target, and measured the target, and provided shooting parameters to the machine gunner. This luxurious configuration looks very luxurious, but think about it, the German army even used aThe Mi optical rangefinder measures the range of the machine gun, and this configuration is also in the same line.
