By Aritra Banerjee
The EDGE Group subsidiary CARACAL, a leading firearms manufacturer headquartered in Abu Dhabi, announced the debut of its new CARACAL LIGHT MACHINE GUN 556 (CLMG 556) at the 16th edition of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2023).
The latest CLMG 556, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, is a belt-fed, fully-automatic weapon developed by CARACAL as the first machine gun to be developed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The lightweight firearm weighs roughly 7.8 kilograms and touts an advanced long-stroke gas piston system.
In a statement released at the event, Hamad Alameri, CEO of CARACAL, remarked, “The new CLMG 556 has been an exciting project for us. As the first machine gun to be developed in the UAE, the CLMG 556 has been developed with the end user in mind. Modularly, ergonomics, weight, accuracy, and durability have been the factors underpinning its development, and thanks to our strong research and development (R&D) team, latest technology prototyping, and advanced manufacturing methods, the CLMG 556 has hit the mark in all these areas.”
The CLMG 556 was developed with the latest rapid prototyping and precision manufacturing technology, giving it similar modularity, durability, and weight-saving features seen with other CARACAL firearms. The LMG comes standard with a five-position telescopic adjustable stock and a three-position adjustable cheekpiece.
For attachments, a STANAG 4694/MIL-STD-1913 long rail is positioned at 12 o’clock on the main receiver. Adding to the CLMG 556’s modern features is a fixed iron sight with range adjustment and a built-in bipod that has a three-position adjustable height. The CLMG556 also has a hammer-forged chrome-lined barrel that comes in three different lengths (13″, 16″, and 18″), which can be quickly interchanged, providing exceptional durability.
IDEX attendees can visit EDGE and its portfolio of companies at Hall 5, Stand A-05, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) between 20-24 February 2023.
