April 21-27, 2022 | Issue 5 - Weapons and Tactics (W/T) Team
Annabelle Hueber, Weapons and Tactics (W/T) Team
Jennifer Loy, Chief of Staff
German-made Machine Guns[1]
Date: April 18, 2022
Location: Addyston, Ohio, USA
Parties involved: Former Addyston Chief of Police Dorian LaCourse; Addyston Police Department; Firearms dealer Johnathan Marcum; Firearms dealer Christopher Petty; Department of Justice (DoJ); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Ohio government
The event:
Former Chief of Police of Addyston, Ohio, Dorian LaCourse, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements to the ATF. LaCourse abused his law enforcement position to illegally aid two licensed firearms dealers in Indiana to receive and sell around 200 fully automatic machine guns. Firearms dealers Jonathan Marcum and Christopher Petty had previously pleaded guilty to this conspiracy in separate cases. LaCourse was indicted and now faces up to 15 years in prison. Marcum and Petty both face up to 5 years in prison; all three will be sentenced at a later time.[2]
Analysis & Implications:
It is likely that similar conspiracies involving the illegal trafficking of weapons are present within law enforcement, especially among high-ranking positions where supervisory checks are at a minimum. Other small towns just like Addyston, where police staff is limited, are very likely to be areas where such incidents occur, as department executives cannot be held accountable by other officers. The recent prosecution of this case will likely cause police officers involved in such conspiracies to be more discreet and vigilant in risking exposure, making it more challenging for the ATF to detect and investigate potential criminal offenses.
There is a roughly even chance that the ATF will draft legislation to restrict the procurement of fully automatic machine guns and other restricted weapons by law enforcement entities. The Ohio government and ATF will very likely introduce independent methods of reporting machine gun purchases to keep track of law enforcement owned restricted weapons. It is likely the ATF will increase random investigations to confirm that law enforcement owned machine guns have been retained and are used in a legal manner.
Date: April 19, 2022
Location: USA
Parties involved: US Army; US Department of Defense (DOD); Sig Sauer, Inc.; Sheltered Wings Inc.; Vortex Optics; Winchester
The event:
The US Army has awarded Sig Sauer a 10-year contract for the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. The NGSW contract will deliver a replacement for the current M4/M4A1 and M249 weapon systems, designated the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle respectively. Sig Sauer’s NGSW rifles utilize a 6.8mm cartridge for both weapon systems, improving lethality over widely adopted 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition. Vortex Optics will be manufacturing a new XM157 Fire Control system for the NGSW program, which will integrate a variable magnification optic and suite of digital combat technologies.[3] The 6.8mm brass/steel cartridge will be manufactured by Winchester.[4]
Analysis & Implications:
NGSW weapon systems will almost certainly be adopted by other branches of the DOD to increase the lethality, range and accuracy of soldiers. It is very likely that each DOD branch will make minor changes to NGSW weapon systems prior to adoption, to suit the operational environment such as close quarters battle or maritime deployment. It is very likely that specialized military units will modify the XM5 and XM250 for mission specific capabilities, such as night vision optics and camouflage paint. Specialized military units will almost certainly request specific loadings of the NGSW 6.8mm cartridge to provide subsonic, long range, or armor piercing capabilities.
It is very likely that the DOD will supply XM5 and XM250 to allied militaries. However, it is likely that select digital combat technologies, especially the Intra-Soldier Wireless capabilities, will be removed from the XM157 before being supplied to allied militaries These technologies contain and communicate sensitive information about troop presence/missions. It is likely that the 6.8mm cartridge will be sold on contract to allied militaries, with the aim to make allies more reliant on US military industrial technologies.
It is likely that the M4/M4A1 and M249 weapon systems will remain in service indefinitely, while the US Army procures and trains soldiers on NGSW weapons systems. Excess M4/M4A1 and M249 stock will likely be supplied to allied militaries to support force modernization, after the finalization of the NGSW program. There is a roughly even chance that M4/M4A1 stock will be sold to US law enforcement entities, which will likely be modified to exclude fully automatic fire capabilities.
Date: April 20, 2022
Location: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia; Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
Parties involved: Russia; Russian Defense Ministry; President Vladimir Putin; Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu; Ukraine; NATO; US Intelligence Community; National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The event:
The Russian Defense Ministry announced a successful test of an RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), known as “Satan II'' by NATO. The ICBM was launched from an underground silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, then traveled approximately 3,500 miles (5,632 km) east and hit a target in the Kamchatka Peninsula. President Vladimir Putin broadcasted a message after the ICBM test, “This truly unique weapon will force all who are trying to threaten our country in the heat of frenzied, aggressive rhetoric to think twice.”[5] The RS-28 is capable of carrying several thermonuclear or conventional warheads, delivered in multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV). The Russian Defense Ministry claims that RS-28 warheads can fly at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5), with an “estimated range between 6,200 and 11,180 miles (10,000 and 18,000 km).”[6]
Analysis & Implications:
The Russian Military of Defense will very likely open the covers of RS-28 silos in the unlikely event of a significant US military deployment in Ukraine. It is almost certain that the US intelligence community, particularly the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, will increase surveillance on RS-28 silos equipment to determine the likelihood of a Russian ICBM strike. However, Russia will likely construct further RS-28 compatible silos with the aim to overwhelm the US intelligence community, thus reducing the accuracy of tracking nuclear warheads and RS-28 missiles.
There is a roughly even chance that Russia will conduct further RS-28 tests as a response to battles on the Ukraine-Russia border. However, it is unlikely that Russia will strike Ukraine with an RS-28 missile, due to fear of retaliation by Ukrainian allies. It is almost certain that the combat potential of Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict will increase with the availability of RS-28 missiles.
Ukraine will likely procure anti-missile and missile detection systems to protect against the increased threat of RS-28 strikes. It is likely that such detection systems will limit the effectiveness of Russian forces conducting missile strikes since interceptions by Ukraine will likely lead to attacks failing. If RS-28 strikes were to occur without missile defense in place, it is almost certain that mass casualties will occur among innocent civilians and Ukrainian troops.
________________________________________________________________________ The Counterterrorism Group (CTG)
[1] “H&K HV 080810 046” by Roberta_F. licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
[2] Former Ohio Police Chief and Two Indiana Gun Dealers Plead Guilty in Conspiracy to Illegally Traffic 200 Fully Automatic Machine Guns, U.S. Attorney’s Office - Southern District of Indiana, April 2022, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/former-ohio-police-chief-and-two-indiana-gun-dealers-plead-guilty-conspiracy-illegally
[3] Army awards Next Generation Squad Weapon contract, U.S. Army Public Affairs, April 2022, https://www.army.mil/article/255827/army_awards_next_generation_squad_weapon_contract
[4] BREAKING: Sig Sauer Wins Contract to Make Next-Gen Squad Weapon, National Defense, April 2022, https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/4/19/sig-sauer-wins-contract-to-make-next-gen-squad-weapon
[5] Russia says it has successfully tested a new intercontinental missile that can evade defenses, New York Times, April 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/world/europe/russia-icbm-putin.html
[6] How deadly is Putin's nuclear 'Satan 2' missile?, Live Science, April 2022, https://www.livescience.com/how-deadly-satan-2-missile
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