Ranger - M320 Grenade Launcher

A Ranger with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment fires a M4a1 carbine at a close quarters marksmanship range, January 2014.

This Ranger's M4 is fitted with a SpecterDR 1.5-6x Multi-Function Combat Day Sight, WMX2000 light, AN/PEQ laser and a M320 grenade launcher.

The M320 fires 40mm projectiles which can include high explosive (HE), high explosive dual purpose (HEDP), illumination and smoke rounds.

The launcher can be attached to a weapon's rail system (as shown here) or fitted with a collapsible buttstock and used as a stand-alone launcher.

Each Ranger fire team includes at least one grenadier armed with a 40mm launcher.

The grenadier provides his fire team a high trajectory, high explosive capability out to 350 meters.

The grenadier can kill/suppress enemy infantry and light-skinned / lightly-armored vehicles with HE/HEDP rounds, lay down smoke to screen his team's movements or send up illumination flares to light up an area or mark enemy positions.