Saco Mk 19 AGL

History

In 1966, the Naval Ordnance Center in Louisville began design of the Mk 19 system, followed by the necessary evaluations. Subsequent enlistment into the U.S. Army began the following year. The first combat took place in the Vietnam War, and the Mk 19 could be mounted on specialized vehicles such as PBRs (Patrol Boats, Riverines) to defend the country's vast network of waterways.

Production of the Mk 19 began in 1967 and continues to this day. The Mk 19 was originally built by Saco Defense Industries, which later became a division of General Dynamics Arms and Technology Products (GDATP). The Joint Services is another well-known manufacturer of weapons systems.

The Mk 19 series has also evolved into several variants, including the hand crank system used by the Mk 19 series Mod 0, Mod 1, Mod 2 and Mod 3 models.

At the heart of the Mk 19 is an autonomous grenade launcher platform for military personnel. The system is self-feeding and can fire continuously without reloading each individual projectile, as the weapon is cocked after each projectile is fired (the initial cocking operation is manual). The Mk 19 can achieve a high rate of fire, providing continuous cover for ground troops and suppressing the movement of enemy forces or driving them out of position completely.

The weapon system's weapon components weigh 72.5 pounds, are 43.1 inches long, and have a 16.25-inch barrel. Operating on the blowback principle, the Mk 19 fires between 325 and 375 rounds per minute and is capable of extinguishing fires. It has an effective range of up to 1,500 yards and a maximum range of just over 2,200 yards. The barrel is air-cooled, so overheating is an issue with sustained fire. Operators use flip sights for "precise" fire, although this is only marked 1,500 yards - so the effective range is listed.

Of course, for grenade-type weapons, this is also for the safety of the operator and nearby allies, with a minimum deployment range of around 80 yards. The receiver is also designed to accept optics to support nighttime operation.

The Mk 19 system usually requires the assistance of two people, one for firing and the other for projectile delivery.

The Mk 19 uses a 40x53mm howitzer shell, which can contain different types of warheads for specific missions. Ranging from High Explosive Dual Purpose (M430 HEDP) to Blue Tip Training Wheels.

Projectiles are guided into the firing chamber by a belt system and are fired in numbered 32 to 48-round cartridges. Each shell can penetrate the armor of most current light armored vehicles, destroying soft-skinned vehicles and concentrated enemy soldiers.

Although the Mk 19 has a 40mm caliber, the Mk 19's 40x53mm rounds use 40x46mm rounds, unlike the single-shot M203 grenade launcher mounted on an assault rifle.

The Mk 19 can be fired from its standard tripod mount or attached to a trunnion mount for practice firing from vehicles. The Mk 19 is used by the U.S.

Army's Humvees, Strykers, Amphibious Assault Track Vehicles, Patrol Boats, Hovercraft, Mine Vehicles, Large Naval Ships, Jeeps, Naval Special Operations Vessels, and more.

The Mk 19 was primarily used by the U.S. military during the 1991 Gulf War. It is currently used in the war in Afghanistan following the events of September 11, 2001. It was then used in the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

The overall long-term success of the Mk 19 system in U.S. hands has ensured that it is available in Australia, Egypt, Greece, Israel (as Maklar), Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico and South Korea (as S&T Daewoo K4), Spain, Sweden (as Grsp) and Taiwan. For Egypt, Israel and South Korea, the Mk 19 was produced locally at one point. To date, thousands of Mk 19 systems have been produced.

Some countries have tried to replicate local versions of the successful Mk 19, but in vain.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes