Tactical Small Arms Of The 21st Century: A Comp...

In recent asymmetric conflicts such as Afghanistan, tactical forces comprised company or platoon operations which allowed them to be more responsive and agile. Combat was fast-moving, unpredictable and came in short bursts, with forces fighting close up to the enemy and often using small arms fire.

Tactical Small Arms Of The 21st Century: A Comp...

There was a time when the Ruger Mini-14 was one of the most popular patrol and tactical rifles in U.S. law enforcement. But it fell out of favor, as AR platform rifles added adjustable stocks and Picatinny rails. That's why I wanted to evaluate the latest version of the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Rifle with the ATI adjustable stock and accessory rail. I was eager to see if this rifle could be viewed as a serious contender in the 21st century patrol or tactical law enforcement rifle market.

In January 2020, the Trump administration weakened oversight of small arms exports through a regulatory change that shifted export controls of semiautomatic pistols, assault-style firearms, certain sniper rifles, and their ammunition from the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Department of Commerce.50 This has raised concerns in the international arms control community, as the Commerce Department uses less robust protocols for ensuring that exported goods are not sent to criminal organizations or human rights violators.51 Additionally, this rule removed congressional oversight of potential arms transfers, furthering concerns that these changes will lead to an increase in U.S. weapons being used in armed conflicts and human rights abuses around the world.52

With the trends in compressing greater fire power, a well integrated smaller size force/unit could achieve greater and decisive effects. Increased lethality and accuracy, mobility and extended ranges of weapon systems give small forces a lethal and forceful punch. The second way that smaller units can create decisive effects is in organisational mixing of arms within a formation. Some historical trends are given below:

Manoeuvre is the third way that smaller units can create decisive effects due to increased mobility e.g. with tanks, ICV’s and aerial platforms and self-propelled artillery. At each step, improved manoeuvre capability contributed to the commander’s capability to move over increasingly dispersed areas and converge quickly at the decisive point, thus concentrating the effects of both fire and manoeuvre. The next logical step of integration would be when land combat is waged by formations consisting of combined arms, air and ground based units. This will be reinforced by the use of integrative technology. Further evolution of combined arms will be the joint arms concept with a smaller unit, or, in other words, a composite unit.

July 15, 2013: A North Korean ship stopped in Panama is found to be carrying weapons from Cuba. The shipment included small arms, light weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, artillery ammunition, and MiG aircraft in violation of UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from importing and exporting weaponry.

UPDATE: On February 21st, 2017 the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. voted (10-4) to uphold Maryland's Firearms Safety Act, stating that the banned firearms are not protected by the Second Amendment of the United States.

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Close operations consist of the fight between the committed forces and the readily available tactical reserves of both combatants. Its principal elements are the coordinated plans for maneuver and fire support that rely on the integrated support of all arms and services. At the tactical level, corps and smaller units maneuver to attack the enemy's flanks, rear, or supporting formations while being covered by direct and indirect firepower. During such operations, the commander assigns the main effort of the attack to one of his subordinate elements, which he then supports.

This year the Army has continued modernization of the various combat and combat support systems necessary to achieve its goal of assembling, moving, and positioning the reserves for commitment to the battle at the proper time and place. Two of the major weapons systems are the UH-60 Black Hawk and the CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The 20,250-pound Black Hawk can carry its three-man crew plus eleven fully equipped combat troops or an equally heavy cargo load into most geographical environments. Recent improvements to the Black Hawk enhance overall mobility; for example, the helicopter can reposition a 105-mm. howitzer, its six-man crew, and thirty rounds of ammunition in a single mission. Critical components and systems are armored so that the helicopter can withstand multiple small arms hits while performing its mission. The airframe is designed to deform gradually, not burst apart on impact. This affords the crew better protection in a crash. Eventually the Black Hawk will replace the UH-1 Huey and shoulder its air assault, air cavalry, and aero-medical evacuation missions. The Black Hawk has been employed successfully under demanding tactical conditions in field exercises and was used extensively in combat in Grenada. The Army has fielded Black Hawks to units within CONUS, Korea, Panama, Europe, and the U.S. Army Western Command (WESTCOM). At present the Army is delivering Black Hawks to the ARNG and USAR units and 041b061a72