The M240 is a family of belt-fed machine guns that have been used in the United States Armed Forces since the 1970s. Widely used by infantry, this gas-operated, air-cooled medium machine gun is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. First manufactured in 1977, the M240 gained a reputation for versatility as seen by its ability to be fired from a bipod, mounted on a tripod, on ground vehicles, on watercraft and on aircraft. Highly regarded for its reliability, the M240 is still standard equipment for all units of the U.S. Army.