Group : Riffles & Machine Guns
Status : Under Development
Also Known As : Rheinmetall Machine Gun
Origin : Germany
Contractor : Rheinmetall Defence
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2014
Total Production : ?

The Rheinmetall Machine Gun (RMG) is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun intended as replacement for the aging M2 .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine gun within the German Army beginning in 2014. The more reliable and more accurate RMG.50 has been designed primarily for integration into remote weapon stations. Besides, the weapon can be mounted on land vehicles and helicopters operated remotely or manually in the event of the electric drive motor failure. Compared with the M2, the new heavy machine gun is superior in terms of accuracy and shot dispersal. The chromated, heavy-duty barrel has been designed to operate with pressures above 4000 bar (3850 bar is the standard used for 12.7mm machine guns) allowing the firing of existing and projected 12.7mm rounds. The German government and Rheinmetall entered negotiations for the development of the RMG in 2008 with the construction and demonstration of a prototype in 2009. Serial production is expected in 2014.

The 32 kg RMG.50 heavy machine gun has a maximum effective range of 1,500 meters, a maximum rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute and can take out an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) at a distance of 200 meters. The gun is safer than any previous machine gun with an special mechanism that avoids inadvertent firing even when dropped from a height of 12 meters. The RMG.50 can be used in sniper mode and features a fired-round counter, single and dual mechanical ammunition feeding system. Apart from the muzzle, the weapon is completely sealed for operations in dusty and sandy environments.