M320 Grenade Launcher Module

In 2004, the Army announced a requirement for a commercial off-the-shelf 40 mm grenade launcher. It had to be more reliable, ergonomic, accurate, and safer than the M203. It had to be able to fire all 40 mm low-velocity grenades but be loaded from the breech to accept future longer projectiles. Heckler & Koch's submission was selected in May 2005. After the U.S. Army at Picatinny Arsenal conducted a competitive bidding process for a new 40 mm grenade launching system, Heckler & Koch was awarded a contract to provide the XM320 beginning in 2006. The M320 was developed from but is not identical to the Heckler & Koch AG36 (a key distinguishing feature being the addition of a folding foregrip ahead of the trigger for use when the weapon is in stand-alone configuration, a feature the AG36 lacks). The M320 entered production in November 2008. Fielding of the M320 was planned to begin in February 2009, with 71,600 GLMs planned to phase out the M203 by 2015. In June 2017, Bravo Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion became the first U.S. Marine Corps unit to be issued the M320. Following initial experiments, the Marines expect to issue 7,000 launchers between 2019 and 2022. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2020, the M320A1 reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the U.S. Marine Corps. ==Design==

The M320 can be used in two ways. It can be attached to the M16 assault rifle, ⁣M4 carbine, or HK416 by attaching to the picatinny rail under the barrel forward of the magazine, or it can be used in a stand-alone configuration with a stock attached. The M320 could also use the AN/PSQ-18A, which is an enhanced aiming device designed to enable rapid and precise fire in daylight, low light, and night conditions. The device has a built-in range scale, an integrated aiming illuminating laser, an anti-cant indicator, and a built-in iron backup sight. However, the sight was not well received by troops due to its weight and size. To replace the AN/PSQ-18A, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army separately adopted their own advanced sighting systems tailored for their needs. The Marine Corps fields the SU-277/PSQ Grenade Launcher Sight (GLS), which features a holographic red dot for improved aiming, integrated ballistic data for automatic adjustment based on ammunition, infrared aiming laser, and a compact, lightweight design. While, the U.S. Army utilizes the Wilcox Grenadier Sighting System (GSS), a day/night sighting solution designed for both under-barrel and stand-alone configurations of the M320. Selected in 2019 after years of development and testing, the GSS incorporates a reflex optical sight with integral backup iron sights, a near-infrared (NIR) aiming laser for night engagements, and an NIR illuminator for increased target recognition and identification. It provides aiming references that correspond to ballistic ranges and features user-selectable ballistic solutions, including a quick selector for two pre-programmed ammunition profiles. Advanced sensors for temperature and pressure enable precise ballistic compensation, while an indicator for left or right tilt, also known as cant, further improves accuracy during firing. File:USMC M320.jpg|M320A1 with SU-277/PSQ GLS File:M320 with SU-277 GLS.jpg|M320A1 with GLS and leaf sight File:Wilcox GSS Standalone.jpg|M320A1 with Wilcox GSS File:M320 GSS underslung.jpg|Underslung M320A1 with GSS The M320 can fire all NATO high-explosive, smoke, and illumination grenades. Its breech opens to the side, allowing it to fire a variety of newer rounds which are longer, in particular certain non-lethal rounds, such as Defense Technology's "eXact iMpact" non-lethal sponge grenades. • The M320 has the ability to fire detached from a rifle. Soldiers have reported difficulties carrying it unmounted, as its one-point sling does not hold it securely. Carrying by the sling would cause it to bounce around and sometimes be dragged through dirt. Soldiers wanted to carry the M320 in a holster to provide protection, rather than just putting it in their rucksack. The Natick Soldier Systems Center began the M320GL Holster Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) in November 2012. Three commercial vendors produced 167 holsters each. The SEP used the "buy-try-decide" concept, which allows the Army to test the functionality of equipment without spending much time on research and development. Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment were given a dozen holsters and went through standardized tests in mid-May 2013, after which they filled out surveys. The next step was to test them with an entire brigade. As of July 2013, the holsters were being evaluated by soldiers in Afghanistan. Project officials were to make a recommendation to Fort Benning by the beginning of fiscal year 2014. ==Users==

• • • • Ukrainian Ground Forces • Ukrainian Marine Corps • • People's Defence Force fighter with a KA-series Pading Grenade Launcher next to a crashed Myanmar Air Force FTC-2000. ==See also==