The U.S. Air Force released pictures showing new pallet loads of small arms ammunition, along with
grenade launchers inside a Boeing 747 after it arrived at Boryspil International Airport.
Twitter user @thelema_boy_ was one of the first to draw attention to the identification code
NSN 1010-01-490-9697,
which can be seen on one of the “black pallets”.
According to the NATO Multilingual Supply Classification Handbook and
Item Name Directory (ACodP-2), which has also been introduced in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
under the name “Common Classifier of Supplies”, NSN code 1010-01-490-9697
corresponds to such a supply item as ” Machine Gun,
40mm, MK19 Mod III “, or in Ukrainian – 40-mm automatic grenade launcher Mark 19 Mod 3.
As per the number of “black pallets” in the released photos, it can be ascertained that
on January 28 several hundred Mk19 grenade launchers were delivered to Ukraine.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how Mark 19 Mod 3 grenade launcher could
spell doom for Russian forces? Let's get into the details.
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As a Russian invasion of Ukraine looks imminent,
US and NATO are racing to provide as much defense armament as possible.
Earlier the U.S. has sent Javelin Anti Tank Guided Missile and the M141
Bunker Defeat Munition. UK has sent MBT LAW
Even smaller countries like Estonia have pledged to provide Javelin anti-armor missiles,
while Lithuania and Latvia will provide Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and adjacent equipment.
These kinds of weapons are don't need a lot of training to use, are very hard
to take out with pre-emptive strikes, and can inflict significant damage on Russian forces.
The idea is to make Ukraine a very difficult country to invade and potentially stop Russia
from taking any military action due to possible losses it could suffer
The Mk19 was originally designed in 1966. It replaced the earlier Mk 18
hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher.
The MOD 3 variant was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1983 and remains in service to the present day.
The reliable and portable grenade weapon system is
suited for light infantry vehicles and tripod applications
The MK19 MOD 3 is an air-cooled, blow-back operated, belt-fed, automatic weapon
that fires add: several types of 40-millimeter grenades from ground mounts and vehicles.
The U.S. Army currently uses the MK19 within the tactical environment for defense,
retrograde, patrolling, rear area security, urban operations, and special operations.
Mk19 fires 40 mm grenades at a cyclic rate of 325 to 375 rounds per minute, giving a
practical rate of fire of 60 rounds per minute (rapid) and 40 rounds per minute (sustained).
The weapon operates on the blowback principle,
which uses the chamber pressure from each fired round to load and re-cock the weapon.
The Mk 19 can launch its grenade at a maximum distance of 2,212 meters (2,419 yds),
though its effective range to a point target is about 1,500 meters (1,600 yds).
The primary ammunition for it is the high-explosive dual-purpose M430 grenade.
On impact, the grenade can kill anyone within a radius of five meters,
and wound them within a radius of 15 meters. It can also punch through 2 inches
(5.1 cm) of rolled homogeneous armor with a direct hit (0-degree obliquity),
which means it can penetrate most infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel
carriers. It is especially effective when used against enemy infantry formations.
The ammunition comes in cans that hold a 32- or 48-grenade belt weighing 42 and 60 pounds (19 and
27 kg), respectively. Due to its low recoil and comparatively lightweight, it has been adapted for
use on many different platforms, including small attack boats, fast attack vehicles such as the
Humvee (HMMWV), AAV and Stryker, military jeeps, and a large variety of naval mounts.
US President Joe Biden said Sunday he would not speculate on further steps his administration
is willing to take amid ongoing tensions with Russia over Ukraine. As he returned
to the White House, Biden told reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking
"things he cannot get" from ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
This indicates that a conflict may not be avoidable
and the best way forward for the West is to put up a united front.
President Putin said at a press conference following the Russian-French talks,
"NATO member countries continue to pump up Ukraine with modern types of weapons,
allocate significant financial resources for the modernization of the Ukrainian army. They send
military specialists and instructors", indicating that there are concerns in Russia regarding this.
While there is no reason to believe, that Russia will not ultimately prevail in a
one-on-one military conflict with Ukraine, the cost is getting higher every day.
Mark 19 Mod 3 grenade launcher
is a kind of weapon that could inflict serious casualty on the Russian side.