The U.S. Marines announced the start of a rollout Wednesday of over 30,000 small-arms suppressors, used to reduce a weapon's recoil, noise and flash.
The first 13,700 devices, which attach to the barrels of M27, M4 and M4A1 rifles, were fielded to infantry, reconnaissance and special operation units at Camp Lejuene, N.C., this week.
The complete release of suppressors is expected by Fiscal Year 2023.
"We've never fielded suppressors at this scale," said Maj. Mike Brisker, Marine Corps System Command's program manager for infantry weapons at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. "This fielding is a big moment for the Marine Corps."
The suppressors muffle a weapon's "audio and visual signature" on the battlefield, making it more difficult for an enemy to locate the shooter. Reducing noise during armed combat also helps small units to better communicate.
"The most important thing the suppressor does is allow for better inter-squad, inter-platoon communication," said CWO David Tomlinson, MCSC's infantry weapons officer. "It allows the operators to communicate laterally up and down the line during a firefight."
Decreasing noise around combat units will also help Marines to maintain their hearing.
"In the big picture, the [Department of Veterans Affairs] pays out a lot in hearing loss claims," Brisker said. "We'd like Marines to be able to continue to hear for many years even after they leave the service. These suppressors have that benefit as well."
