Army says new war ready M17 pistol will change modern combat.
Handguns are as close to superfluous as any weapon still carried can get.
Yes, they have a role.
Before you latch onto that too hard remember, so does a bayonet.
A role isn't the same as having a large role.
The radio is still the number one most dangerous weapon on the battlefield.
I'm willing to bet we spent an order of magnitude more on getting the M17 than we did getting radios.
A new pistol just isn't a game changing weapon.
I cannot find the quote from a Marine general who was ruing over how much we'd wasted on all the previous handgun programs and that if they'd just cut him a check for not even half that he could equip every member of all the armed services with a new pistol from any of the major manufacturers.
He said something to the tune that as long as everyone can shoot issue 9mm NATO, they were golden. If everyone was using the same magazine, they were platinum.
Hey Angus
ReplyDeleteI remembered in the army in the 80's we got a lot of new gear except commo, sure it was "green" or encrypted but it still send it out ok n an analog carrier wave and the Soviets would still DF you and call in artillery. Radios aint sexy and they don't get the big sponsors.