Army sets sights on new sniper rifle; budget request includes over 2K by 2025
By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Tuesday, February 18, 2020
U.S. Army officials have their sights set on obtaining over 2,000 new Precision Sniper Rifles (PSRs) to their arsenal over the next five years.
The service’s fiscal year 2021 budget request states a commitment to making a new PSR — made by Tennessee-based Barrett Firearms — “the primary anti-personnel Sniper Weapon System (SWS) in all Army Sniper Teams.”
A request for over $10 million and 536 weapons was placed for this year, although officials expect to add 1,516 at a cost of over $45 million by fiscal year 2025.
The total arsenal of PSR systems at that time would tally 2,545, Task and Purpose reported Tuesday.
The military website also noted that the new system will eventually replace the M107 sniper rifle and appears based on Barrett’s MRAD, which SOCOM is familiar with via its Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) program.
Army budget documents say Barrett’s system “provides increased probability of hit over the current M2010 [Enhanced Sniper Rifle] configuration at distances up to twelve-hundred (1200) meters and increases range out to fifteen-hundred (1500), which enhances the sniper role in supporting combat operations and improves sniper survivability.”
Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier and Barrett did not immediately respond to Task and Purpose’s request for comment.
