Army Ranger Firing MK 47 Grenade Launcher
U.S. Army Photo by Staff SGT. Teddy Wade/Released
A Ranger with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment fires a MK 47 grenade launcher during task force training, January 2014.
The MK47 is a 40mm grenade launcher that features a sophisticated fire control computer.
It fires 40mm grenades with a range of warheads, including PPHE (Programmable Prefragmented High Explosive) and M430 HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose).
The MK 47 has replaced the MK-19 launcher previously employed by the Rangers.
Ranger gun teams typically mount the MK 47 on a vehicle such as a Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) to provide some mobile fire support or place it on a tripod when used to defend static positions (as shown in the above image).
Each Ranger battalion has 12 MK 47 grenade launchers available to it.
