Marine Corps snipers will quickly be geared up with a longer-range, extra versatile rifle designed to extend lethality and set up risk overmatch on the battlefield in help of Pressure Design 2030.
Chosen by way of a joint effort between Marine Corps Methods Command, Marine Forces Particular Operations Command, and U.S. Army Particular Operations Command, the Mk22 Mod 0 Superior Sniper Rifle is a bolt motion, precision rifle system. It incorporates the caliber agnostic 7×35 energy Precision Day Optic and is fed from a 10-round removable journal.
The Mk22 incorporates a caliber-agnostic flash and sound suppressor. It permits customers to customise the weapon to suit particular person mission wants equivalent to altering barrels and ammunition calibers on the operator degree.
The Mk22 will substitute all legacy M40A6 and Mk13 Mod 7 rifles, decreasing the sniper rifle stock from 4 to a few, stated Infantry Weapons Program Supervisor Nick Berger. The choice offered by the Mk22 to modify barrels will give Marines the flexibility to configure the rifle to fireside both the .338 Norma Magnum or .300 NM caliber rounds.
The brand new 7×35 Precision Day Optic additionally offers better magnification and remark capabilities over the at present fielded 5×25 optic, stated Sgt. Christopher Frazier, a Marksmanship Teacher with Scout Sniper Teacher College and liaison to Marine Corps Methods Command.
Frazier stated the elevated vary offered by the Mk22 and accompanying PDO will give snipers better standoff distance from their targets, permitting better survivability.
“Quite than placing one gun away and getting the following gun out, we are able to shortly change the barrels, after which we solely have to hold ammunition and that further barrel, not a whole further gun and further magazines.” Sgt. Christopher Frazier, a Scout Sniper Teacher College Marksmanship Teacher
The Marine Corps’ funding within the Mk22 to interchange legacy gear makes Marine snipers extra deadly and offers elevated flexibility. Lightening the load for Marines, the Mk22 is a perfect addition to sniper arsenals to help Littoral Operations in Contested Environments and Expeditionary Superior Base Operations.
“As an alternative of getting to be taught a number of weapon programs, we simply have one,” stated Employees Sgt. Cruz Nuanez, a Scout Sniper Teacher with the Superior Infantry Coaching Battalion, College of Infantry-East.
Nuanez stated, decreasing the variety of rifles to study helps Marines higher hone their abilities. Diminished coaching necessities additionally permit Marines extra time to deal with essential duties such because the interoperability of the totally different barrels, bolt faces, and the ballistic calculations between every caliber.
Sustainability
Whereas the Mk22 rifle is heavier than the Mk13 and the M40A6, the consensus from check shooters was chopping down to 1 rifle has important tactical and logistical benefits when finishing up missions.
Pressure Design 2030 locations emphasis on the necessity for stand in forces to be frugal with logistics necessities, significantly inside enemy weapons engagement zones. The Mk22 offers the Marine Corps sniper neighborhood with a decreased logistical footprint.
“It is positively extra environment friendly,” stated Frazier. “Quite than placing one gun away and getting the following gun out, we are able to shortly change the barrels, after which we solely have to hold ammunition and that further barrel, not a whole further gun and further magazines.”
Mk22 kits will include upgraded optics and superior suppressors. As well as, the kits will embrace gadgets just like the visible augmentation programs and a one-time challenge of a .300 Winchester Magnum barrel to make sure a easy transition between present missions and coaching necessities, stated Berger. Some Mk22 kits will include a sniper-shooting tripod and laser filter.
Refining the system with teacher suggestions
To make sure the brand new system suits the wants of Marine Corps snipers, MCSC held an integration evaluation vary aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico. This system workplace invited instructors from all three Marine Scout Sniper faculties and MARSOC, to check the brand new rifle, optics, suppressors, tripods, and different equipment for the Mk22.
Whereas this isn’t a typical step within the course of, Berger seen the occasion as a chance for the members to supply enter earlier than fielding.
“This occasion is a bit uncommon for a program to do at this level,” Berger stated. “Nonetheless, it will be significant for us to ensure the sniper neighborhood has what it must be profitable, and the timing of this occasion permits us to determine points earlier than fielding and to right as obligatory.”
Throughout the integration evaluation, shooters, undertaking managers and help employees took detailed notes for knowledge assortment and refinement wants. Shooters saved logs detailing how the rifle dealt with with every barrel and caliber of ammunition. Information was additionally collected from chronographs, a software that measures the spherical’s velocity because it leaves the barrel. Mixed, the collected data will likely be utilized for making any alterations to the kits previous to dissemination.
Early suggestions is constructive for each the brand new gear and the flexibility to transition schoolhouse instruction to the brand new system seamlessly. Nuanez stated course {qualifications} will stay the identical and sniper college students will be capable of choose up on the brand new necessities simply.
“They’re very user-friendly. It comes with all of the instruments you want and the instruments are additionally user-friendly,” Nuanez defined. “Taking the barrels off and placing them again on, in addition to the bolt faces— there must be no challenge.”
Extra firing exams are scheduled by way of the tip of the calendar yr, with preliminary fielding slated for fiscal yr 2023.
