The U.S. Army might arm the recon version of its new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), the successor to the Humvee, with a modified version of the Hughes M230LF chain gun, a 30 mm cannon used on Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

The Army intends to field the modified M230 cannon to around 800 vehicles by 2019 if all goes as planned. It's ordered some 17,000 JLTVs from its maker, with Oshkosh Defense, and should receive the first of these new vehicles by 2018.

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A 30 mm cannon will significantly increase the firepower of recon JLTVs that would otherwise be armed with the venerable M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun, which has been in service for close to a century.

A 30 mm chain gun can fire a variety of more destructive rounds at enemy targets at long range, including high explosive and armor piercing. The cannon has a practical rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute.

The M230 can also send their deadlier rounds out farther than the M2. It has an effective range of 15,000 meters compared to only 1,800 meters for the M2.

The M23's 30 mm rounds can penetrate 1.4 inches of armor at 500 meters and, incredibly, can pierce thicker armor at 1.7 inches at 1,500 meters. On the other hand, the M2's .50 caliber (12.7 mm) bullets can only pierce armor 7/8th of an inch thick at 100 meters.

The acquisition of JLTVs is part of an Army program to replace most of its Humvees, otherwise known as High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWVS). JLTVs are said to be more survivable, provide more protection and have greater off-road mobility compared to Humvees. The Marines will also replace their Humvees with JLTVs.

The shift to the JLTVs is a great opportunity for Army scout platoons to upgrade from the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, said Col. William Nuckols Jr., director of mounted requirements at the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) at Fort Benning, Georgia.

"The design work for (the M2) was started in 1917 by General John Pershing," he explained. "I don't want to bash it. It's the best heavy machine gun in the world, but technology has continued to move."

TagsU.S. Army, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, JLTV, Humvee, M230LF chain gun, M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun