Releases Advanced Sniper Rifle Solicitation
Ealier this May, US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) detailed Special Operations Forces (SOF) Small Arms modernisation efforts, including the Precision Intermediate Caliber Effort, which resulted in the adoption of 6.5 Creedmoor (CM – story here), costing approx. the same per round as the accurised 7.62 rounds they already procure. 6.5 CM machine gun ammo is also under development, in case USSOCOM decides to procure a lightweight assault machine gun in that calibre. The command considers the 6.5 CM conversion for US Army Special Operations Command‘s (USASOC) M110s as a SOF unique programme and will pay for their rebarreling.
Different Upper Receiver options are available for the M4A1 carbine, including the Suppressed Upper Receiver Group, which is still in source selection, Personal Defense Weapon, a .300 BLK Upper and Upper Receiver enhancements.
Enhancements for the GLOCK 19 in the command include suppressor, red dot optics and 9mm Speer Gold Dot G2 ammo.
USSOCOM is working to adopt a wide variety of new optics, including new night vision goggles that will have white phosphor fielding into the 2022s, AR Clip-on fielding starting 2020 and enhanced thermal clip-on fielding into 2020. 2018 still holds Advanced Sniper Rifle scope, day optic, CSFC developments alongside aiming laser and beacon developments.
Also in early May, USSOCOM issued a solicitation to industry for an Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR). According to a November 2017 announcement, ASR is a modular, multi-calibre bolt action sniper rifle capable of engagements to beyond 1,500 metres. The rifle will be chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum with calibre conversions occurring at the user level. The programme is also a total small business set aside. Product samples (three samples from each vendor) are due by 9 July 2018, while proposals are due by 27 August 2018. We understand that the government is requesting.
Development of the ammunition for the .338 Norma Mag Lightweight Medium Machine Gun had begun ahead of the weapon because reducing its weight is the bigger challenge and the weapon cannot be fully developed until the ammo is ready.