The U.S. Army confirmed that it will begin conducting trial of the new the new (Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R) this fall.
A statement released by the Army indicate that, a limited-user test of the new 7.62x51mm SDM-R is also underway now at Fort Bliss in Texas.
The new SDM 7.62x51mm rifle is based on the Heckler and Koch G28E-110 / M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System, or CSASS, and offers infantry, scout, and engineer regiments the capability to engage with accurate rifle fire at longer ranges.
The rifle will be equipped with a different buttstock and barrel twist than the CSASS model with a base weight of about 9.9 pounds.
According to Captain Weston Goodrich, PEO Soldier’s assistant program manager for Soldier Weapons, the Army’s current rifle technology is most effective below the 300-meter range but now the soldiers will be able fight beyond that threshold with the new rifle that will address the 300 to 600 meters range gap outlined in the 2015 U.S. Army Small Arms Capabilities-Based Assessment.
