[quote=@Gunther]
The M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, Heavy Barrel is frickin' heavy.
The gun weighs 84 Lbs. It is so much easier to separate the barrel from the receiver and the tripod. The gun should be carried in three separate pieces plus the ammunition.

Receiver: 60 Lbs.
Barrel: 24 Lbs.
Tripod: 44 Lbs.
Can of Ammo (100 rounds): 35 Lbs.
[/quote]

Yeah, which is why the Salvesh mounted it on one of their drones, which can convert over to a mounted weapon for human use. The weapon is still large and bulky, but it can be moved quickly to the next position without burdening the humans with the weight. Since anti-grav is a thing, I felt like the drone tech and crewed infantry weapons would benefit as well. You can pretty much mount an M-2 on anything, after all.

A similar system might exist for heavier weapons systems like light fifties as well and other bulky squad/platoon supplies as well, which keeps the unit close to their supplies even when they do have to drop packs or other items and so that they don't have to carry it all. That can make a real difference for the maneuverability of weapons units as well as the stamina of the individual soldier with a greatly reduced individual load.

Down the line, exoskeletons, but that requires a lot of training the Salvesh didn't have time for, so I anticipate the idea that they designed systems that were easy to bolt human equipment onto with user friendliness as the most important feature.