A small arms muffler, similar to those used by elite units such as Navy SEALs or Army Delta Special Forces, will soon be added to the standard equipment of U.S. Marine Corps warriors. Pictured here is the 8th Advance Party, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, RCT, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, preparing to search a house during Operation Sword Strike in the Main Poshteh area of Afghanistan.
A small-arms muffler, similar to those used by elite units such as Navy SEALs or Army Delta Special Forces, will soon be added to the standard equipment of U.S. Marines to help them avoid detection when attacking enemy forts.
Another purpose of this move is to enable U.S. forces to fight enemies or adversaries, especially Chinese Communist forces, in close coastal areas around East Asia.
The U.S. Marine Corps Command recently began issuing thousands of M-4 and M-27 rifle mufflers. They are not completely noiseless like in the movies, but they can help reduce noise, flash and recoil on the battlefield.
“We’ve never deployed mufflers on this scale before. This is an important moment for the Marine Corps.” said Maj. Mike Brisker, chief of infantry weapons management at Marine Corps Command.
The idea for the additional silencers came from a 2016 exercise called “Sea Dragon” that allowed Marine Corps officials to try out the emerging technology. A Marine Corps battalion used small arms silencers during the exercise.
“The exercise gave us very good feedback, which was the main reason for the silencer acquisition.” Maj. Briskell said, “Since then, we’ve done limited testing on various weapon loadouts, and all of those tests have shown that that (silencer) function works well.”
Dakota Wood, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said the decision to equip with silencers was linked to Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s program to transform the Marine Corps to meet the new and evolving warfare.
“The purpose of all of this is to stay as stealthy as possible, and it needs to make it harder for the enemy to find us,” he said. He said.
Under the Marine Corps Service Improvement Program, the Marine Corps will reduce the number of its full suits and drop some traditional combat systems, such as tanks. The future establishment concept is to create a leaner, more lightly armed force capable of fighting enemies or adversaries, especially Chinese Communist forces, in the close coastal areas around East Asia.
“If my employment philosophy dictates that I command small units to operate in this environment, then having those small units properly equipped to reinforce their protective capabilities and reduce their exposed characteristics is the best way to do that.” Mr. Wood said, “Forces must be equipped with reconnaissance capabilities, communications capabilities and weapons systems that are relevant to the employment of force concept.”
Marine Corps officials said their goal is to deploy about 30,000 silencers by 2023. The plan is to use commercially available technologies such as silencers to equip soldiers more modernly for better close quarters combat, officials said.
Marine Corps officials said silencers can dramatically improve the ability of infantry squads to communicate and talk in chaotic battlefields, thereby reducing misunderstandings.
“The most important thing silencers can do is allow for better communication between comrades and between platoons.” Chief Warrant Officer David Tomlinson, officer in charge of infantry logistics, Marine Corps Command, said, “Silencers allow communicators to communicate up and down during a firefight.”
Mr. Wood said silencers are not necessary on combat rifles when troops are lined up during daylight hours, but they will be critical when small groups of Marines operate covertly in the future in areas where there are no clear lines of battle.
“This is just another example of how the form of warfare is in flux and you have to adapt.” All combat teams, he said, “must be as unobtrusive as possible.”
Mr. Wood said the Army will likely watch the Marines’ performance closely before deciding whether to issue silencers to its infantry units.
“The Marines employ silencers, and the Army just isn’t paying as much attention to it.” He said, “They should be doing it, but they just haven’t right now.”
Officials said the use of silencers could have some side effects on the health of soldiers.
“In the big picture, the VA is paying a lot of money in hearing loss claims.” Maj. Briscoe said, “We expect Marines to have hearing for many years, even after they retire.”
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