New sniper system designed for urban fight

Infantry Magazine, Jan-Feb, 2008

Soldiers deploying have just received a weapon that will dramatically improve sniper operations. The new M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), approved for full materiel release in August, is now in the hands of snipers from Fort Polk, Louisiana. The mid-November fielding represents the first time the weapon has been fielded before deployment.

MAJ Marc Meeker, Assistant Product Manager for Soldier Weapons--the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier office responsible for the weapon's acquisition--was on hand for the milestone.

"Our focus is to try to get this weapon fielded to units prior to their deployment," he said, stressing the Army's commitment to providing comprehensive training and the best equipment to its Soldiers. "We don't want to field in theater. We would rather train in a peacetime environment, and have Soldiers equipped with the best and newest equipment as they go forward on the battlefield."

After the Soldiers at Fort Polk spent some time getting acquainted with the M110, they deemed the weapon a great improvement over its predecessor, the M24.

"It's everything a sniper wants," one sergeant said. "We're all very excited about this new weapon system because it's custom-tailored to the kind of fight we're in."

That environment--typically an urban one--stands in stark contrast to the terrain the sergeant faced in his prior deployment. "It's a very target-rich environment for them over there," MAJ Meeker noted, "and they have to be very selective about their targets."

One of the major improvements that will help in that environment is the higher-rate of fire, allowing snipers to target insurgents accurately and quickly in civilian-dense areas. This has been achieved by replacing the M24's bolt-action system and internal five-round magazine with quickly detachable high-capacity box magazines. Another essential upgrade is the flash/sound suppressor.

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The M110 also can eliminate unnecessary baggage when snipers must switch gears to engage the enemy in close-quarters. According to SSG Aaron W., "I don't have to have my shooter carry an extra weapon when we go into buildings to clear rooms. He can actually use (the M110). That's going to lighten our load a lot."

In addition to these features, the M110 includes a 3.5-10x power variable rifle scope, and MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, which allows the weapon to be tailored with rail-mountable accessories such as the AN/PVS-26 clip-on night sight, which was also fielded at Fort Polk.

PEO Soldier is responsible for virtually everything the Soldier wears or carries. More information on weapons and other PEO Soldier programs can be found at www.peosoldier.army.mil.

PEO SOLDIER