I think you could have had a little more fun with the topic. 

 

The AK-47 came into being as a weapon of mass attack.  Now that sort of mass battle is passe.  Now we have decided that accuracy counts again, when combined with better fire rates.  You get semi-automatic fire with extreme accuracy and you really have something frightening.  People gripe about the 5.56 but we should remember that people, physically are large vermin, being no tougher than a peccary which is hunted with a 22lr.  It is the same for other weapons: the mass barrage is gone, for now.

 

What you should watch is how Afghan marksmanship is going.  Originally they were very good, because the skill was passed from father to son.  The AK-47 broke those lines of authority down.  If it comes back we are in a much different situation.

 

Finally it seems that US forces are infected with Funktionslust; shooting is now a pleasure for many pursued as a virtuoso skill.  A friend had a company at Ft. Drum before 911  which was very much that way. 

 

It seems things have changed since SLA Marshall: now people really like to hunt and shoot.  Of course mass battle is gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not so sure the equivilent of the mass battle has ended. As in Vietnam first they must be found. Then if it is a training or supply depot it must be mass bombed if there is no ground view. Staging areas well hidden using small group infitration until the time of attack is still feasible, especially in forested mountainous areas. Korea comes to mind. The enemy is always cunning at finding ways to neutralize capabilities of its enemy. We won't be fighting the Taliban forever.