M247H Heavy Machine Gun
One of a number of machine gun turrets employed by the UNSC, the M247H is an air-cooled, gas-operated, electrically-fired machine gun which is fed linkless 12.7mm HVE (High Velocity, Explosive) rounds. Due to its comparatively light weight and ease of transportability, the M247H is used at most UNSC base locations and high-priority sites.
In its default configuration, the machine gun is affixed to a turret base tripod, with a defensive plate shield and ammunition box residing at its center axis. The heavy barrel points forward while the weapon’s firing mechanism and trigger are located at the rear, allowing the gun to be maneuverable in 180 degrees by any qualified personnel. Though rare, some reports have indicated that soldiers have detached the M247H and fired it from the hip, using it to pursue enemies past the gun’s fixed range of fire. Such reports, however, remain unsubstantiated.
The weapon is primarily used to apply suppressing fire, point-to-point cover fire, and, predominantly, direct fire. While the M247H is the most ubiquitous of the UNSC’s contemporary machine gun turrets, the M247 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) and the AIE-486 HMG are both utilized with great frequency across most theaters of war.
