Soldiers deploying have just received the new Knight’s Armaments Co. M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), a weapon that is expected to dramatically improve sniper operations, the Army says.
The new M110, approved for full materiel release in August, is now in the hands of snipers from Fort Polk, La. A fielding in mid-November was the first time the weapon has been fielded before deployment, the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier said in a statement.
Weighing in at 17.3 pounds combat ready with suppressor, the M110 fires 7.62 ammunition.
Maj. Marc Meeker, assistant product manager for Soldier Weapons–the PEO Soldier office responsible for the SASS acquisition–was on hand for the milestone, the statement said. “Our focus is to try to get this weapon fielded to units prior to their deployment,” Meeker 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 soldiers at Fort Polk spent time getting acquainted with the M110, they deemed the weapon a great improvement over its predecessor, the M24.
“It’s everything a sniper wants,” Sgt. Jed C., said: “We’re all very excited about this new weapon system because it’s custom-tailored to the kind of fight we’re in.”
The current environment, typically an urban environment, 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,” Meeker said, “and they have to be very selective about their targets.”
One of the major improvements that will help in that environment is the SASS’s higher-rate of fire, allowing snipers to target insurgents accurately and quickly in civilian- dense areas, the PEO Soldier office said. This has been done 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.
The M110 also can eliminate unnecessary baggage when snipers must switch gears to engage the enemy in close-quarters. According to Staff Sgt. 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.”
Additionally, the M110 includes a 3.5-10x power variable rifle scope, and military standard-1913 Picatinny rail, which allows the weapon to use assorted accessories by mounting them on the rail, such as the AN/PVS-26 clip-on night sight, which was also fielded at Fort Polk.
The PEO Soldier office is responsible for virtually everything soldiers wear or carry.