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SPMG

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« The SPMG (Special Purpose Machine Gun) is a lightweight medium machine gun, which greatly benefits from modern materials. It is designed to fill the gap between 7.62 mm and .50 machine guns. The SPMG uses.338 Norma Magnum bullet. The effective range of the machine gun is 1500 m, and thanks to advanced technology, it has low recoil.
Field Manual[1]
 »
The SPMG .338 medium machine gun.
The SPMG .338 medium machine gun.

The SPMG (full name: Special Purpose Machine Gun[2]) is a .338 general-purpose machine gun used exclusively by NATO forces in ArmA 3. It was added with the release of the Marksmen DLC.

Overview[]

This is a premium asset that requires ownership of the Marksmen DLC.

The SPMG is a gas operated, long-stroke piston operated medium machine gun that is chambered for .338 Norma Magnum.

It feeds from 130-round belts stored in cloth pouches, and can attain a fire rate of up to 500 rounds per minute[CfgWp 6][Formula 1] with a muzzle velocity of 807 m/s.[CfgMa 2] The SPMG can be fitted with accessories on its top[CfgWp 7], side[CfgWp 8] and underbarrel rails[CfgWp 9], as well as muzzle attachments.[CfgWp 10]

For a full-size GPMG, the SPMG's recoil remains surprisingly manageable while being very accurate at all ranges. The ballistics profile of its .338 round also offers the user a GPMG that has both the accuracy and range of marksman rifles like the MAR-10.[CfgAm 1]

When paired with magnified optics like the AMS, the effective range of the SPMG can essentially extend out to an impressive distance of 1,200 metres, allowing the user to technically fulfil both sniper and machine gunner roles.

Furthermore, the SPMG's .338 round demonstrates excellent barrier penetration.[CfgAm 2][Formula 2] Steel and corrugated iron walls offer no resistance, and even moderately thick stone/brick walls are unable to stop the SPMG's rounds from punching through. It can clear drivers and occupants out of MRAPs without damaging the vehicle, other than potentially bursting its tyres or disabling the turret.

In terms of stopping power, its .338 rounds are powerful enough to outright kill armoured foes in one or two hits regardless of where they are struck even at long distances.[CfgAm 3]

However, the SPMG does suffer from having a very low rate of fire. Unlike its CSAT counterpart, the SPMG is unable to lay down fire as quickly due to its pitiful cyclic fire rate of only 500 RPM.[Formula 1] The Navid on the other hand, is capable of reaching anywhere from 705 up to a maximum of 1,500 RPM (on burst mode). Though in practice, even this drawback is minor at worst, given that the SPMG's high accuracy and lethality can effectively compensate for its lower fire rate.

Ironsights[]

Arma3-spmg-ironsight-overview

The SPMG allows for a minimum zeroing of 100 metres up to a maximum of 600 metres (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600).[CfgWp 11] By default, it is set to a zeroing of 200 metres.[CfgWp 12] Neither the front nor rear sight are illuminated.

If an optical sight with a zeroing limit greater than 600 metres is attached onto the top rail (e.g. LRPS), the SPMG will allow for an absolute maximum zeroing of 2,000 metres.[CfgWp 13]

Camouflage[]

  • Sand: Standard desert sand/flat dark earth paint scheme. Used by Mediterranean NATO forces.
  • Black: Chrome black paint scheme. Utilised by NATO forces based in Eastern Europe.
  • Camo: Spraypaint scheme designed to mimic NATO's MTP uniform camouflage.

Ammunition[]

Arma3-ammunition-130rndspmg
Ammo parameter .338 NM (Ball/Tracer)
Base damage value 14[CfgAm 3]
Aerodynamic friction -0.00061[CfgAm 1]
Muzzle velocity (m/s) 807[CfgMa 2]
Expected velocity (m/s) 760
[CfgAm 4][note 1]
Penetration depth (mm) 21.789
[CfgAm 2][Formula 2]
Deflection angle (degrees) 15°[CfgAm 5]

The SPMG can only feed from one type of magazine.[CfgWp 14] It has a weight of 60[CfgMa 3] "mass" units:

.338 NM 130Rnd Belt[]

130-round belt pouch loaded with .338 Norma Magnum ball/tracer ammunition.[CfgMa 4]

Every fifth round fired will emit a visible red tracer.[CfgMa 5] The last five rounds of the belt will always emit visible tracers.[CfgMa 6]

Magazine compatibility[]

SPMG_338
Weapon name
(Classname)		 .338 NM 130Rnd Belt
SPMG .338 (Black)
(MMG_02_black_F)		 ✔
SPMG .338 (MTP)
(MMG_02_camo_F)		 ✔
SPMG .338 (Sand)
(MMG_02_sand_F)		 ✔


Achievements[]

  • Marksmen Weapon Master
    • The SPMG is one out of seven premium weapons featured in the DLC. Simply equip it (and the other six) in the Virtual Arsenal and begin testing it. Can be done in a single sitting or in multiple playthroughs.

Trivia[]

  • The SPMG is based on the real-life "Lightweight Medium Machine Gun" designed by the General Dynamics Corporation (officially dubbed as the "Lightweight Machine Gun - Medium" or "LMG-M" by USSOCOM).[3]
    • The real LWMMG (at the time of the DLC's release) was a prototype medium machine gun that was designed to replace its heavier predecessor, the U.S. military's "M240" GPMG.[4] Development on the programme has since continued, albeit with different weapon platforms as opposed to GD's LWMMG (such as True Velocity's "RM338" or SIG Sauer's "MG 338").[5]
  • When the DLC was initially released, the SPMG had a lower inertia penalty that made it much easier to wield in close quarters than a GPMG should be capable of. This was greatly increased after the release of Game Update 1.64 to properly match its GPMG configuration.[6]
  • Armed variants of the Prowler LSV are fitted with a forward-facing SPMG that can be used by the commander. It is also only used by both models of the Rhino MGS as a coaxial MG, though oddly enough, neither the Slammer family of MBTs nor the Marshall IFV use it as a coaxial weapon.
  • Specific Tanoan Gendarmerie officers guarding the Red Spring Mine can be seen using the SPMG in the Apex expansion's Old Man mini-campaign/scenario.[7] However, none of their other units elsewhere in the mini-campaign actually wield the weapon.

Gallery[]

Video[]

Config/script references[]

CfgAmmo

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 CfgAmmo >> B_338_NM_Ball >> airFriction
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 CfgAmmo >> B_338_NM_Ball >> caliber
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 CfgAmmo >> B_338_NM_Ball >> hit
  4. ↑ CfgAmmo >> B_338_NM_Ball >> typicalSpeed
  5. ↑ CfgAmmo >> B_338_NM_Ball >> deflecting

CfgMagazines

  1. ↑ CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> count
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> initSpeed
  3. ↑ CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> mass
  4. ↑ CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> ammo >> "B_338_NM_Ball"
  5. ↑ CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> tracersEvery
  6. ↑ CfgMagazines >> 130Rnd_338_Mag >> lastRoundsTracer

CfgWeapons

  1. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> manual >> dispersion
  2. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> WeaponSlotsInfo >> mass
  3. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> recoil
  4. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> inertia
  5. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> dexterity
  6. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> manual >> reloadTime
  7. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> WeaponSlotsInfo >> CowsSlot_Rail >> compatibleItems >> {optic_aco,optic_ACO_grn,optic_ACO_grn_smg,optic_aco_smg,optic_ams,optic_AMS_khk,optic_AMS_snd,optic_Arco,optic_Arco_AK_arid_F,optic_Arco_AK_blk_F,optic_Arco_AK_lush_F,optic_Arco_arid_F,optic_Arco_blk_F,optic_Aro_ghex_F,optic_Arco_lush_F,optic_DMS,optic_DMS_ghex_F,optic_DMS_weathered_F,optic_DMS_weathered_Kir_F,optic_ERCO_blk_F,optic_ERCO_khk_F,optic_ERCO_snd_F,optic_hamr,optic_Hamr_khk_F,optic_Holosight,optic_Holosight_arid_F,optic_Holosight_blk_F,optic_Holosight_khk_F,optic_Holosight_lush_F,optic_Holosight_smg,optic_Holosight_smg_blk_F,optic_Holosight_smg_khk_F,optic_KHS_blk,optic_KHS_hex,optic_KHS_old,optic_KHS_tan,optic_LRPS,optic_LRPS_ghex_F,optic_LRPS_tna_F,optic_MRCO,optic_Nightstalker,optic_NVS,optic_SOS,optic_SOS_khk_F,optic_tws,optic_tws_mg}
  8. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> WeaponSlotsInfo >> PointerSlot_Rail >> compatibleItems >> {acc_flashlight,acc_pointer_IR}
  9. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> WeaponSlotsInfo >> UnderBarrelSlot_rail >> compatibleItems >> {bipod_01_F_blk,bipod_01_F_khk,bipod_01_F_mtp,bipod_01_F_snd,bipod_02_F_arid,bipod_02_F_blk,bipod_02_F_hex,bipod_02_F_lush,bipod_02_F_tan,bipod_03_F_blk,bipod_03_F_oli}
  10. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> WeaponSlotsInfo >> MuzzleSlot_338 >> compatibleItems >> {muzzle_snds_338_black,muzzle_snds_338_green,muzzle_snds_338_sand}
  11. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> discreteDistance[] >> {100,200,300,400,500,600}
  12. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> discreteDistanceInitIndex >> "1"
  13. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> maxZeroing
  14. ↑ CfgWeapons >> MMG_02_base_F >> magazines[] >> {"130Rnd_338_Mag"}

Formulae

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 60 / reloadTime = 60 / 0.12
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 initSpeed * caliber * 15 / 1000 = 807 * 1.8 * 15 / 1000

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Damage will be reduced if the projectile's velocity drops below this value.

References[]

  1. ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2015, Marksmen, Arma 3, viewed 6 March 2025, <https://arma3.com/dlc/marksmen>.
  2. ↑ ARMA 3: Marksmen 2015 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., Field Manual/Weapons/SPMG .338, "The SPMG (Special Purpose Machine Gun) is a lightweight medium machine gun, which greatly benefits from modern materials. It is designed to fill the gap between 7.62 mm and .50 machine guns. The SPMG uses .338 Norma Magnum bullets. The effective range of the machine gun is 1500 m, and thanks to advanced technology, it has a low recoil."
  3. ↑ Haládik, L 2015, OPREP - MARKSMEN WEAPONS, Arma 3, viewed 24 September 2017, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/oprep-marksmen-weapons>.
  4. ↑ Johnson, S 2013, 'General Dymanics’ Lightweight Medium Machine Gun, .338 Norma Magnum', The Firearm Blog, 26 September, viewed 4 March 2024, <https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/09/26/general-dymanics-lightweight-medium-machine-gun-338-norma-magnum/>.
  5. ↑ South, T 2024, Special operators set to pick light machine gun in new caliber, DefenseNews, viewed 20 May 2024, <https://www.defensenews.com/land/2024/05/08/special-operators-set-to-pick-light-machine-gun-in-new-caliber/>.
  6. ↑ Kovařič, V 2016, SPOTREP #00059, Arma 3, viewed 13 October 2023, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00059>.
  7. ↑ ARMA 3: Apex 2020 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., Old Man

External links[]

See also[]

Weapons of comparable role and configuration[]

Weapons of ArmA 3
Handguns 4-five .45 • ACP-C2 .45 • P07 9 mm • PM 9 mm • Rook-40 9 mm • Starter Pistol 10 mm • Spectrum Device • Zubr .45
Submachine guns ADR-97 5.7 mm • PDW2000 9 mm • Protector 9 mm • Sting 9 mm • Vermin .45
Shotguns Kozlice
Carbines AKU-12 7.62 mm • AKS-74U 5.45 mm • Katiba Carbine 6.5 mm • Mk20C 5.56 mm • MXC 6.5 mm • TRG-20 5.56 mm
Assault rifles AK-12 series (AK-12, AK-12 GL) • AKM 7.62 mm • CAR-95 series (CAR-95, CAR-95 GL) • Katiba 6.5 mm (Katiba GL) • MX series (MX, MX 3GL) • Mk20 5.56 mm (Mk20 EGLM) • Promet series (Promet, Promet GL, Promet SG) • SDAR 5.56 mm • SPAR-16 series (SPAR-16, SPAR-16 GL) • Type 115 6.5 mm • TRG-21 5.56 mm (TRG-21 EGLM)
Designated marksman rifles ASP-1 Kir 12.7 mm • CMR-76 6.5 mm • Cyrus 9.3 mm • Mk-I EMR 7.62 mm • Mk14 7.62 mm (Classic) • Mk18 ABR 7.62 mm • MAR-10 .338 • MXM 6.5 mm • Promet MR 6.5 mm • Rahim 7.62 mm • SPAR-17 7.62 mm
Sniper rifles GM6 Lynx 12.7 mm • M320 LRR .408
Squad automatic weapons CAR-95-1 5.8 mm • LIM-85 5.56 mm • Mk200 6.5 mm • MX SW 6.5 mm • RPK-12 7.62 mm • SPAR-16S 5.56 mm • Zafir 7.62 mm
Machineguns Navid 9.3 mm • SPMG .338
Launchers 9M135 Vorona • MAAWS Mk4 • PCML • RPG-7 • RPG-42 • Titan MPRL • Titan MPRL Compact
Static M2 • Mk6 Mortar • Mk30 • Mk32 • Remote Designator • SPG-9* • Static Titan Launcher (AA, AT)
(Parenthesis) denote variants.
* this weapon is not available in a standalone turret configuration and is only available as a vehicle-mounted weapon.
Karts DLC | Marksmen DLC | Apex DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC
NATO - Armoury (ArmA 3)
Handguns 4-five .45 • P07 9 mm* • Spectrum Device
Submachine guns Vermin .45
Carbines MXC 6.5 mm*
Assault rifles MX series (MX*, MX 3GL*) • SDAR 5.56 mm • SPAR-16 series* (SPAR-16*, SPAR-16 GL*)
Designated marksman rifles Mk-I EMR 7.62 mm • MAR-10 .338* • MXM 6.5 mm • SPAR-17 7.62 mm*
Sniper rifles M320 LRR .408
Squad automatic weapons MX SW 6.5 mm* • SPAR-16S 5.56 mm*
Machineguns SPMG .338
Launchers MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1* • PCML* • Titan MPRL • Titan MPRL Compact
Static Mk6 Mortar • Mk30 • Mk32 • Remote Designator • Static Titan Launcher (AA, AT)
(Parenthesis) denote variants.
* denotes weapons also used or are exclusive to the CTRG sub-faction.
Marksmen DLC | Apex DLC | Tanks DLC
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