M16A4 in the Army
 

Does anyone here know at what level usage of the M16A4 is within the US Army?

Most of what I find on this subject only says it's "in use by some units of the US Army" without any details (which I've been hearing for a couple of years now). Are there any released details about it?

I don't think it's ever been officially adopted. Only the Marines issue the M16A4 in large numbers. Technically, the M16A2 is still standard-issue in the Army, though just about all of our soldiers who are actually in combat (in Afghanistan and Iraq) are using M4s. Dunno if there are any released details about it, but that's the impression you get just from looking at pics from both theaters of operations.

I've seem quite a few photographs in the war zones that have A4s. In fact I rarely see pictures of plain A2s, but that's also influenced by what the photographers (and photo editors) deem 'sexy'.

You've seen Army guys, wearing ACUs, using A4s? I'm sure there are some (assuming Wikipedia is accurate), but probably 95% of the Army personnel I've seen in Iraq pictures seem to have only M4s. I used to see them with M16A2s back in the early days of the war ('03-'04), but now it seems to be almost exclusively M4s and an occasional M16A2.

I do, of course, see Marines (wearing MARPAT desert camo) all the time carrying the M16A4.

It's mostly rear echelon troops carrying M16A2s, the carbines go to the front line troops that need them.

Speaking of the A4s, I saw vids of US troops handing out A4s for the Iraqi army, switching the AKs that were in current use.

I'm pretty sure that's only for select units right now. Most of the Iraqi Army are still issued AKs - however, the best units (that is, the ones which have actually proven competent to carry out operations without being baby-sat by our troops) are getting issued M16A4s and M4s.

Iraq has ordered a large quantity of M-16A4 for their Army. This is from a government publication.(2006: 50,750 M16A2 rifles, 50,750 M4A1 carbines; 2007: 123,544 M16A4 Rifles and 12,035 M4 Carbines) They have also just received 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks for their army. Their air force is look at F16 fighters also.

2008 request from Iraq
* 100,000 M16A4 Assault Rifles
* 140,000 M16A4 Magazines
* 100,000 M4 Weapons
* 4,000 AN/PVS-7D Night Vision Devices
* 1,100 40mm Grenade Launchers
* 3,300 9mm Pistols with Holsters
* 400 Aiming Posts


We are training them and their mindset is that we want the the Americans have and that's what they are buying at this time.

Hmmm, interesting, thanks for this info. I remembered reading about the purchase of the M1s and the increasing numbers of M16s and M4s, but I didn't realize that the Iraqis actually wanted to ditch their AKs for M16s. While they're at it, they also ought to ditch those surplus "chocolate chip" uniforms we donated to them, too.

Now, as long as they use the weapons to actually fight those jihadist bastards, and don't go Saudi on us, I'll be OK with the idea...

I think the main worry in the region is Iran. With Iraq, and Kuwait having similar equipment and training it will go along way to help them with that problem. The other item that will help them is they will be able to use Iranian ammo if it ever comes to that. The Iranians main rifle in the Chinese CQ which is a copy of the early M16A1's with new style furniture. The Chinese setup a factory to build that weapon in Iran. The CQ was originally built to supply the Philippine insurgents along with they M14 clone but I guess that did not pay as well when they found out the Philippines were Islamic and not Communist.