Army signals security & "Clansmen" series radios

[Ian G Batten]

You write:
> Donald Ramsbottom wrote:
> 
> > Is this not like the M16 which had all manner of problems when first used in
> > anger in Vietnam, but with modifications became universally loved by the grunts.
> 
> Which rather begs the question, "Why didn't we buy the M16?". It's the 
> weapon of choice of our special forces, it's available now, it's proven,
> it takes an underslung grenade launcher and it's already in use with at
> least
> one of our NATO partners.

I've read in several places that the ``NATO Standard'' 5.56mm isn't
really a standard, in that M16A3, SA80, HK33, FAMAS and so on will not
happily interchange ammunition.  I don't know if that's ``won't
chamber'', or ``won't feed reliably'' or just ``isn't as accurate'', but
it does call into question the merit of not staying with the original
4.85mm.

ian