New rifle can help US soldiers hit enemies from 600 meters
The HK G28 rifle can hit a torso-sized target from 600 meters away, outperforming the standard US M4 model.
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G28 version with silencer. Photo:HK. |
The US Army has selected the Heckler & Koch G28 rifle for infantry squad shooters to destroy targets at long range. With this new rifle, squad shooters are able to penetrate armored targets at longer ranges than the current short-barreled M4 rifle, according toPopular Mechanics.
The move is intended to help US soldiers confront armored opponents in the future, as the US shifts its strategy from fighting insurgents in tight urban environments to larger battlefields.
Shortly after the US began its military intervention in Iraq, SEALs began deploying to the country with the M14 EBR, a modernized version of the M14 with improved accuracy, a bipod, and a telescopic sight, allowing for greater range than the standard M4. The US Army quickly adopted the rifle for combat operations in the Middle East.
However, the M14 EBR was only a temporary solution because of its uncomfortable design for the shooter, heavy barrel, and outdated operating mechanism, which greatly reduced accuracy. Therefore, the US Army wanted to own a new rifle specifically for squad-level shooters, replacing the M14 EBR. This was the reason why the US Army chose the G28 semi-automatic rifle designed by Heckler & Koch.
The G28 is essentially an HK416 automatic rifle chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles. It is designated the M110A1 by the US Army, has a 42cm barrel, holds 20 rounds, and weighs 6.8kg. It is fitted with a Schmidt & Bender 20x magnification sight and a bipod.
Manufacturer Heckler & Koch claims that the G28 can hit a target within a 3.8cm diameter circle at 100m or 23cm at 600m. This allows the shooter to hit the chest of an enemy at a distance of 600-700m, which is beyond the effective range of most current infantry rifles. In addition, the G28 can serve as a suppressive fire machine gun at a distance of up to 800m.
The US Army plans to buy 5,000 G28s for squad-level snipers, along with 3,643 for individual snipers. Each M110A1 set costs about $12,000, with the Schmidt & Bender scope costing up to $4,000 each.
