New ammunition: 500-round belts for the MG6 machine gun

The Procurement Office of the German Federal Armed Forces recently commissioned the production and delivery of ammunition for the MG6 machine gun. These so-called "500 round belts with cartridges" in caliber 7.62mm x 51 include - in addition to cartridges with soft-core bullets - the corresponding belt links, associated ammunition boxes, and packaging materials.

The underlying contract is a multi-partner framework agreement with a duration of ten years to ensure the best and long-term ammunition supply and operational capability. The commission was previously approved by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag.

These cartridge belts have been in use for the MG6 since 2020 and have proven themselves in the troops. The ammunition can be used for so-called soft targets, such as non-armored targets like cars, trucks, drones, or transport aircraft, and is primarily used by the Bundeswehr for training purposes.

In the Bundeswehr, the MG6 is currently only used by the Special Forces and belongs to the class of medium machine guns. The weapon is an air-cooled rotary barrel machine gun with a bundle of six barrels and an electric drive - the advantage being that the barrels do not heat up due to rotation, despite a firing rate of up to 3,000 rounds per minute.

The MG6 is used for engaging rapidly moving targets at distances of up to 1,200 meters. In addition to helicopters (LUH SOF) and land vehicles (AGF Serval), the MG6 can also be used on the inflatable boats (RHIB boats) of combat swimmers or stationary on a pivot mount.

GERMAN ARMED FORCES online