What is M249 light machine gun?
{{Infobox Weapon | name = Machine Gun, 5.56&nbsp;mm, M249 | image = PEO M249 Para ACOG.jpg | caption = | origin = <!--Confusing claim: [[United States]] (M249 derivative) [[Belgium]]--> | type = [[Squad automatic weapon]]/[[Light machine gun]] <!-- Type selection --> | is_ranged = yes <!-- Service history --> | service = 1984-Present | used_by = [[United States armed forces]] [[Lebanon]]<ref>{{Citation |url= http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/article.asp?ln=ar&id=23881 |title= قائد الجيش أشاد بدقة التنفيذ والتنسيق |last= Al-Balaa |first= Nadine |author2= Nina Akel Khalil |date= 15 January 2010 |publisher= Lebanese Armed Forces |language= Arabic |accessdate= 15 January 2010 |archive-date= 30 June 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110630162209/http://lebarmy.gov.lb/article.asp?ln=ar&id=23881 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | wars = |}} The '''M249 light machine gun''' is a [[machine gun]] which is the U.S. version of the [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[FN Minimi]] light machine gun, used by the United States and Lebanon. The main use of this [[weapon]] is to provide cover fire for other soldiers in a [[squad]] (or group of soldiers). The gun uses 5.56 [[North Atlantic Treaty Organisation|NATO]] [[caliber]] [[ammunition]]. ==Overview== The M249 was made because a lot of the squadrons of the U.S. Army did not have fully automatic weapons. It has seen action in every war that the [[United States]] has been in since 1989. ==Replacement== In the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]], the M249 is due to be replaced by the [[Germany|German]] [[M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle]].{{cn}}<!--but the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] does not plan to buy any M27's, so it will stay in service with them--> ==References== <references/> {{military-stub}} {{ModernUSInfWeaponsNav}} [[Category:Light machine guns]] [[Category:Machine guns of the United States]]