The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is in search of a new sniper rifle that would provide accuracy at record-shattering distances in a bid to keep up with the U.S. military’s largest competitors.
In a notice posted to Sam.gov, a U.S. government website connecting private contractors to the federal government, the command posted its desire for a new “extreme long range-sniper rifle,” which it hopes will be able to replace “older anti-materiel and anti-personnel rifles such as the M107 and MK15 with a newer system.”
USSOCOM said in the notice that it is seeking a rifle with a “precision fire capability” of 2,500 meters, or 2,730 yards, a distance that could break existing confirmed kill records. According to a report from Military.com, the current longest confirmed sniper kill was set in 2002 by a Canadian Army sniper, Cpl. Rob Furlong, who used his country’s military version of the TAC-50 to record a kill from 2,430 meters, or 2,657 yards.
“The Extreme Long Range – Sniper Rifle will increase the effectiveness of Special Operations Forces by utilizing the most recent advances and capabilities in small arms design, performance, and commercial manufacturing technologies to increase reliability, survivability and availability by replacing decade old weapon systems,” the spokesperson said.