U.S Army will have a new sniper rifle.
It has been stated that the M110A1 Compact Semi-Auto Sniper System (CSASS) will undergo
production qualification testing and limited numbers is expected to be in hands of soldiers
by first quarter of 2019.
Production qualification testing carried out before the full-rate production is started.
These stringent tests are designed to validate the working of the weapon against the stated
requirements and detect any niggling issues that may be present in the weapon when used
in situation which closely imitate the battlefield.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes new M110A1 sniper rifle that will equipped US Army.
Let's get started.
In July 2012, the U.S. Army floated a request to convert the current M110 rifle into a Compact
Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS).
The CSASS envisioned to be a shorter and lighter version of the M110.
The rifle is to have a collapsible stock and removable flash suppressor giving it an overall
length of 36 inches (910 mm) and a weight of 9 pounds (4.1 kg) unloaded.
The goal of this initiative is to have a sniper rifle that is smaller in length so that it
doesn't "stick out”, making it harder for the enemy to detect the sniper.
A lighter weight is meant to make the rifle easier to carry.
The U.S Army wants a capability to convert 125 current M110 rifles to M110A1 rifles per
month, with a legroom to increase to 325 per month.
The Army formally requested proposals for the CSASS in June 2014.
On 1 April 2016, the U.S Army stated that Heckler and Koch was the winner of the competition
and has been awarded a contract worth around f $44.5 million
Heckler and Koch expected to produce 3,643 rifles.
Initially, the guns are expected to be handed to the regular infantrymen serving in a designated
marksman role.
Victor Yarosh, who works on the CSASS program at PEO Soldier’s Soldier Weapons department
reportedly said that,
"The CSASS is smaller, lighter, and more ergonomic, as the majority of the changes were requested
by the Soldiers themselves.
The rifle is easier to shoot and has less recoil, all while shooting the same round
as the M110.
The CSASS has increased accuracy, which equates to higher hit percentages at longer ranges."
The Heckler and Koch rifle has16 inch long barrel and weigh in at 8.7 pounds with an
empty magazine meeting the Army’s CSASS requirements both in size and weight.
It has a Schmidt & Bender 3-20X50 PMII Ultra Short Scope for better optical performance
and accuracy, enabling target identification at longer ranges.
It will feature a new suppressor and muzzle brake that that will reduce chance of detection.
Importantly, the rifle is very similar in look and feel to the standard M4 and M16 assault
rifles.
This means the that infantry soldiers will find it familiar to use and the adaptation
will be easy.
The rifle will use 7.62×51mm NATO round.
It has a effective firing range of 800 m and muzzle velocity 783 m/s