Military.com reports on the introduction of the IAR (Infantry Automatic Rife) to replace the SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon).

The introduction of the M-27 is a return to the roots of the Marine infantry squad, Flynn argued, which featured an “automatic rifleman” that eventually evolved into a light machine gunner with the introduction of the SAW in the 1980s.The Corps’ adoption of the IAR has been fraught with controversy, with critics arguing the limited firepower of an M-27 — which shoots a 30-round magazine — would leave Marines vulnerable. The lead-spitting power of the M-249 and its 200-round drum helps keep bad guys in place while grunts maneuver in for the kill, skeptics argued.