July 3, 2019 | International, Land
By: Todd South
Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne recently conducted tests of the Army's newest offering for a compact sniper rifle — and they liked it.
Earlier this month snipers with the 82nd at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, put the Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System through airborne infiltration test trials.
One of the Operational Test Command's Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate NCOs, Sgt. 1st Class Ross Martin, said in a release that the compact nature of the rifle is appealing to airborne forces who have to maneuver their equipment in cramped planes for jumps.
Typically, the longer-barrel standard rifles can be cumbersome.
“Current sniper systems are equipped with 20-inch barrels, sound suppression systems and full-length stocks that provide accuracy and a stable firing platform required of any precision rifle,” said David Parris, a CSASS trainer with U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command's Soldier Weapons Support.
As the Army shifts focus to dense urban environments the equipment, such as the sniper rifle, follow suit.
“The CSASS is smaller, lighter, and more ergonomic, as the majority of the changes were requested by the soldiers themselves,” said Victor Yarosh told Army Times in 2018. Yarosh works on the Army's Soldier Weapons program.
“The rifle is easier to shoot and has less recoil, all while shooting the same round as the M110. [Additionally,] the CSASS has increased accuracy, which equates to higher hit percentages at longer ranges,” Yarosh said.
The newest CSASS not only has a shorter barrel, but also an adjustable stock for easier transport and comfort.
“The CSASS is much shorter and lighter than our current system, which will make long dismounted movements and reaction to contact more efficient,” said Spc. Nicholas Farmer, a sniper in C Troop, 1st Battalion, 73rd Cavalry Regiment.
Most M4s max out at near 300 meters, but the CSASS allows shooters to reach out to 600 meters. The new rifle can fire the M80A1 Enhanced Performance Round and the XM1158 Advanced Armor Piercing Round.
It has a different buttstock and barrel twist than previous CSASS models, comes in just under 10 pounds and uses a Sig Sauer Tango 6 variable 1x6 power scope.
Spc. William Holland, a sniper with 2nd BN, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, said that the rifle is “lightweight and compact, [which] makes for a more manageable load during post drop operations.”
Being airborne, the soldiers rely on maintaining their weapon's optic zero, given the jostling and sometimes hard impact nature of their jobs.
To measure how well the CSASS maintains that zero, the test team used a mobile weapons bore sight collimator to ensure the “pre-mission” zero was not degraded by parachute infiltration shock.
Once this data was collected, snipers conducted a known distance live fire after static line and military free fall operations.
Military Times reported in January that Special Operations Command snipers will soon use the Sig Sauer TANGO6T 1-6x24 Riflescope for their CSASS.
Sig Sauer also won the optic competition for the Army's Squad Designated Marksman Rifle with their TANGO6 scope.
The SDMR program has been part of a larger shift for the Army to put sniper-like capabilities inside of the squad, giving the base unit of the formation more range and lethality with its M110 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System, or CSASS.
Tactically, Army leaders see the sniper as a force enhancer because they can conduct a number of missions.
“They provide a surveillance mission where they use their high-powered scope to observe activity downrange,” Yarosh said. “A sniper can pin down an enemy force through sniper concealment and engagement to provide the right shots at the right time. They can also prevent an enemy force from moving out of cover, which allows our maneuver forces to exploit the enemy by moving into a better position and engage.”
November 12, 2024 | International, Land
Achieving all objectives, the milestone is the latest in a rigorous U.S. Army test program, advancing towards fielding the 360-degree, full sector capability this year.
February 19, 2020 | International, Land
February 17, 2020 - Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, announced today that the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal has placed an order for 1,240 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and associated kits. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200217005131/en/ This order includes JLTVs for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), Slovenia and Lithuania and kits for the U.S. Army, USMC, Slovenia and Lithuania. “We work side-by-side with the Joint Program Office to give the military the necessary technological edge to compete with and defeat the most advanced adversaries,” said George Mansfield, vice president and general manager of joint programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Without sacrificing mobility or transportability, the JLTV can accommodate over 100 mission package configurations, a true testament to its agility and modularity.” The Oshkosh JLTV is the only light tactical vehicle with the protection and extreme off-road mobility to maneuver with combat formations against great power adversaries. The vehicle's digital architecture allows incorporation of advances in weapons, lasers, sensors, networking, and communications. It is designed to meet the requirements for the threats faced today and the decades to come. Additionally, foreign interest in the highly capable JLTV platform continues to grow. The award includes orders for JLTVs to Slovenia and JLTVs to Lithuania through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. “We are proud of our vehicle and proud of this program,” continued Mansfield. “The JLTV stands out as one of the few major programs delivering on its promises – it is on time, on budget, and delivering against all program requirements. Our mission is to enable the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and our allies to complete their missions and return home safely.” About Oshkosh Defense Oshkosh Defense is a global leader in the design, production and sustainment of best-in-class military vehicles and mobility systems. As a pioneer of combat-ready vehicle solutions, Oshkosh develops and applies emerging technologies that advance troop safety and mission success. Setting the industry standard for sustaining fleet readiness, Oshkosh ensures every solution is supported worldwide throughout its entire life cycle. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK]. Learn more about Oshkosh Defense at www.oshkoshdefense.com About Oshkosh Corporation At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs more than 15,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in people's lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Frontline™, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh® Airport Products, CON-E-CO® and London™. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com. ®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. (Photo: Business Wire) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200217005131/en/
June 8, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
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