Snipers are a renowned tactical tool that a commander on the battlefield has to gather intelligence and when needed strike strategically at the enemy. The modern use of sniper teams in Iraq and Afghanistan has proven to be invaluable on the ground and has provided many tools to the trade of soldiering. Given the growth and tactical employment of snipers across combat theatres, the increased development and fielding of higher end weapons systems has been constant.

The current fielded sniper weapons systems by the US Army are the M110 SASS, MK-15 EBR, Barret M82 and the M-24. The M-24 is a 7.62 X 51 (NATO) and the .338 Magnum which has been in service since 1988 has been a staple in the Infantry and other Special Operations units. Given the increased use of the M24 and the M14 in combat, the need for a slightly better weapons system in the M24 has come to be an operational need.

According to a solicitation in mid July, the Army awarded a contract to Remington Arms at a value of almost $12.1 million to upgrade the current M24 weapons platforms. Major Elliott Caggins serves as the Assistant Product Manager for Sniper Weapons out of Piccatiny Arsenal, NJ. In this podcast you’ll hear about all of the M24 upgrades and advancements courtesy of PEO Soldier.