The
FN Minimi entered U.S. Army service as the M249 SAW in 1984, and was later adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1985. The U.S. production model has a different buttstock compared the original FN Minimi. It is manufactured in the FN factory in
Columbia, South Carolina. Although found to be reliable and accurate, multiple safety hazards were identified in the design, including sharp edges and an exposed hot barrel. Soldiers complained that the front sight required special tools to be adjusted. On August 23, 1985, then-
U.S. Under Secretary of the Army James R. Ambrose suspended M249 production pending the development of a product improvement program (PIP). Congress removed funds for the M249 from the Fiscal Year 1986 defense budget, then retroactively set aside the program's funding for other purposes. Over 1,100 M249s already issued were to remain in use, but be retrofitted with the PIP kit when it became available. Over 7,000 M249s were to stay in storage at depots until corrective changes could be made. The PIP kit was eventually developed and implemented, and production of the M249 resumed. It was praised for its extreme durability and massive firepower, but was criticized for a number of issues: the
blank firing adapter fitted poorly, the bipod was fragile, the sling attachment was awkward, and there were many slots and gaps that accumulated dirt. Some claimed that the heavy-barrelled version of the M16 rifle was a more effective light machine gun. The M249 SAW was not used consistently before the 1991
Gulf War, though it has been used in every major U.S. conflict since. American personnel in
Somalia in 1993,
Bosnia in 1994,
Kosovo in 1999,
Afghanistan in 2001 and
Iraq since 2003 have been issued M249s. Surplus M249s were donated to
Bolivia,
Colombia and
Tunisia. Tactically, M249 SAWs are either carried with a maneuvering unit and fired while handheld, or positioned to remain stationary and provide covering fire for other units. These boxes were carried in soft pouches labeled
Case, Small Arms, Ammunition, 200-Round Magazine. The modern load of ammunition carried for the M249 is 1,000 rounds in five 200-round belts, although up to 500 extra rounds may be loaded into 100-round soft pouches.
Persian Gulf War A supply of 929 M249 SAWs was issued to personnel from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War. Although exposure to combat was scarce, M249 gunners who were involved in fighting mainly used their machine guns to provide cover fire for friendly maneuvering troops from fixed positions, rather than maneuvering with them. There were many complaints about the M249 clogging up with sand after prolonged use in the desert environment.
War in Afghanistan The standard squad automatic weapon in Afghanistan was the M249 SAW with the PIP kit, which served alongside its heavier counterpart, the
M240 machine gun. Most M249s were given a collapsible buttstock immediately prior to the invasion to reduce its length and make the M249 more practical for parachuting and close-quarters combat.
Iraq War at a training range, November 2003 The PIP and Para variants of the M249 SAW were used in the Iraq war since
the invasion. By 2004, many M249s had been in service for almost 20 years and were becoming increasingly unreliable. Soldiers were requesting replacements and new features, and there are reports of soldiers holding their M249s together with duct tape. As in previous conflicts, the sandy environment causes the M249s and other weapons to clog up and jam if they are not cleaned frequently.
Evaluation In December 2006, the
Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) released a report on U.S. small arms in combat. The CNA conducted surveys on 2,608 troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 12 months. Only troops who fired their weapons at enemy targets were allowed to participate. Three hundred forty-one troops were armed with M249 SAWs, making up 13 percent of the survey. 71 percent of M249 users (242 troops) reported that they were satisfied with the light machine gun. 40 percent of users preferred feeding the SAW with the soft 100-round pouch, while 21 percent chose the soft and hard 200-round pouches each. 60 percent (205 troops) were satisfied with handling qualities, such as handguards, size, and weight. Of those dissatisfied, just under half thought that it was too heavy. M249 users had the lowest levels of satisfaction with weapon maintainability at 70 percent (239 troops), most due to the difficulty in removing and receiving small components and poor corrosion resistance. The SAW had the highest levels of stoppages at 30 percent (102 troops), and 41 percent of those that experienced a stoppage said it had a large impact on their ability to clear the stoppage and re-engage their target. Sixty-five percent (222 troops) did not need their machine guns repaired while in theater. Sixty-five percent (222 troops) were confident in the M249's reliability, defined as level of soldier confidence their weapon will fire without malfunction, and 64 percent (218 troops) were confident in its durability, defined as level of soldier confidence their weapon will not break or need repair. Both factors were attributed to high levels of soldiers performing their own maintenance. 60 percent of M249 users offered recommendations for improvements. Seventeen percent of requests were for making the M249 SAW lighter, and another 17 percent were for more durable belt links and drums, as well as other modifications, such as a collapsible stock.
Replacement In 2009, the U.S. Marine Corps selected the
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, a lighter, magazine-fed rifle to supplement and partially replace the M249. With plans to buy up to 4,100 IARs to complement and partially replace its 10,000 M249s, of which 8,000 will remain in service, held at
platoon level, it acquired 450 of the
Heckler & Koch HK416 (M27 IAR variant) for testing. The Army passed on the concept of the IAR, believing automatic rifle with a magazine would lower the effectiveness and firepower of a squad. While the Marine Corps has 13-man squads, the Army organizes its soldiers into squads of nine and needs considerably more firepower from the squad machine gunners to make up the difference. • Maximum weight of , including sling, bipod, and sound suppressor • Maximum total length of • Engage pinpoint targets up to , and
suppress (area fire targets) to a range of • Compatible with next-generation Small Arms Fire Control systems In April 2022, the U.S. Army selected
SIG Sauer as the winner of the competition. Their automatic rifle is designated the
M250 light machine gun. ==Design details==