US Army Orders Retired M60 Machine Guns: Mystery Surrounds Recipient.

This week, the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Newark, New Jersey, awarded a $14.96 million contract to U.S. Ordnance, a company based in Sparks, Nevada, for an unspecified number of M60E4 and M60E6 machine guns. The contract also includes spare parts, accessories, conversion kits, and training services, raising many questions within the defense community. The U.S. Army largely phased out the M60 machine gun decades ago, prompting speculation about the recipient and the operational needs for these weapons.

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A United States Navy SEAL pictured holding a M60E4 machine gun. (Picture source: US DoD)

The M60 machine gun, chambered in 7.62x51 mm, was developed in the late 1940s and entered service in the 1950s. Inspired by the German MG-42 and FG-42 automatic rifles from World War II, the M60 was widely used during the Cold War and became iconic during the Vietnam War.

Over the years, several variants were introduced, adapted for infantry, vehicles, aircraft, and naval platforms. However, the M60 was gradually replaced by the M240B in U.S. Army service.

The M60E4 and M60E6, also known as the MK43, are modernized versions of the original machine gun. These newer variants are lighter, shorter, and feature improvements such as accessory rails and an upgraded gas system for better reliability.

Despite these enhancements, they have not been widely adopted by the U.S. Army and are primarily used by foreign forces, such as the Danish Army, which became the first user of the M60E6 in 2014. Some U.S. special forces and training units still utilize these models.

Danish Army soldier armed with M60E6 general-purpose machine gun (Picture source: Danish MoD)

The contract awarded to U.S. Ordnance does not specify the exact number of machine guns or conversion kits to be delivered, and the Pentagon has remained tight-lipped about the details. This secrecy has led to speculation that these weapons could be intended for a foreign ally, such as Ukraine, as part of military aid.

The U.S. has already mentioned the possibility of using the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program to transfer surplus military equipment to partner countries, especially given the depletion of funds for new aid packages. It is also possible that the M60s are destined for other U.S. government entities or foreign allies.

The origins of this contract remain unclear, but it reflects a renewed interest in a weapon that had largely been retired from active service in the United States.

As the defense community speculates about the final destination of these machine guns, more details may emerge in the coming months, shedding light on the motivations behind this unexpected acquisition.