Latest news with #ShaneDuncanson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fort Benning upgrades range to accommodate new sniper rifle
The Army is upgrading a multipurpose sniper training range at Fort Benning, Georgia to handle new weapons that can shoot farther than the current range allows. The improvements are part of a series of modernization efforts scheduled over the next seven years, according to an Army release. As part of the modernization initiative, Burroughs Range was upgraded to extend a section of the range from 800 meters to 1,100 meters. A future upgrade includes some target areas being expanded to distances of up to 1,200 meters, offering improved training opportunities for soldiers using the range. 'The current sniper rifle system used by the Army has an effective range of about 1,000 meters,' said Shane Duncanson, Fort Benning range planner. Newest sniper rifle for soldiers, Marines takes on final hurdle before fielding The Army's newest sniper rifle, the Mk22, can strike targets as far as 1,500 to 1,800 meters, Duncanson said. The Mk22 is a multi-caliber, bolt-action rifle that replaces the M2010, M110 and M107 sniper rifles. 'The requirements for changes to the training ranges came from new weapons systems being introduced,' said John Nolt, acting director of Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization & Security at Fort Benning. Completed in 1976, Burroughs Range was initially designed as a heavy sniper training facility, with armored targets placed throughout the training area, according to the release. Additionally, a two-meter tall, 225-meter-long, 21-meter-deep berm, complete with a moving target rail system to its rear, is located on the west side of the range at 800 meters from the shooting positions. 'As the battlefield changes, our training ranges have to change, too,' said Jason Olive, Fort Benning range officer. 'As Burroughs Range transitions to the Army's newest Multipurpose Sniper Range, the requirement for a moving armored target was eliminated, which required the removal of the berm and tracks behind it, allowing additional line of sight and an area to incorporate the Army's newest trackless moving target technology.' The construction work at Burroughs Range involved leveling the berm, demolishing the obsolete rail system — which featured a 44-centimeter concrete base and a 20-centimeter rebar barrier extending along the entire 225-meter length — gradually leveling the land behind the berm, removing trees and clearing debris throughout the range. 'Burroughs Range was built back in a day when 1,000 meters was the farthest someone could shoot, and typically a solider would train at 600-800 meters,' Duncanson said. 'We're in the process of doing small incremental improvements so that we can use the new weapon systems and rounds at 1,200 meters.' Personnel from Fort Benning, as well as the Georgia Army National Guard's 177th Engineer Support Company, 878th Engineer Battalion out of Augusta, Georgia, and the Army Reserve's 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion out of Birmingham, Alabama all contributed to modifying the range. 'This type of training allows us to meet directly on the job site with our active duty and Reserve counterparts,' said Warrant Officer James Jarrett, a construction officer with 177th Engineer Support Company. The ongoing modernization of training ranges across Fort Benning is focused on improving soldiers' training, readiness and operational capabilities, according to the release.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Ranges on Fort Benning aren't long enough for Army's new sniper rifle
The Army is updating its sniper training range at Fort Benning, Georgia to accommodate its newest sniper rifle, which can accurately hit targets nearly a mile away. The MK22 Precision Sniper Rifle is a multi-caliber bolt-action sniper rifle that was designed to replace the Army's M2010, M110 and M107 rifles, according to the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier, which is in charge of new weapon development. The Army's current generation of sniper rifles have 'an effective range' of nearly 1,000 meters, but the new MK22 can reach targets between 1,500 to 1,800 meters away, said Shane Duncanson, Fort Benning range planner, in an Army release. As a result, he said, the sniper rifle 'requires a whole different range design.' Will Brugge, a spokesperson for Fort Benning, said that the range upgrades will allow soldiers to use the MK22 to the fullest extent, which helps them train specific sniper skills like calculating ballistics, estimating distances and actually hitting targets. 'Firing at targets with the weapon system's maximum effective range requires snipers to be absolutely precise with their ballistic calculations to accommodate for atmospheric conditions, primarily wind speed and temperature. It also requires snipers to be absolute with their range estimation skills. Further engagements also challenge the sniper's ability to detect targets and apply target recognition skills,' Brugge said. 'Snipers who do this successfully gain experience and confidence in using the weapon system.' The MK22 rifle can swap between three different barrels to use three types of ammunition: the typical 7.62mm, and two new calibers, .300 and .338 Norma Magnum rounds, which can be switched out depending on the type of mission. With the shortest barrel, the rifle can use standard 7.62 rounds for targets as far as 1000 meters. Two longer barrels accommodate the .300NM's regular ball round and the .338NM's armor-piercing round for shots up to 1,500 meters, according to an Army fact sheet on the system. An Army marksmanship instructor at one of the largest bases told Task & Purpose that some soldiers with the new MK22 have not yet received the .300NM and .338NM ammunition. Unlike 7.62 rounds, which the Army has used for decades in other weapons, both of the new sniper rounds have been developed specifically for the rifle. The Army signed a $157 million contract with Sig Sauer to produce .300NM and .338NM ammunition in June 2022. Sig Sauer told Task & Purpose that all of the ammunition ordered by the Army had been delivered. The Army fielded the MK22 to special operations soldiers in 2021. According to PEO Soldier officials, the sniper rifles are still being distributed to conventional units that have sniper-trained soldiers assigned to them, such as infantry battalions. Officials declined to give additional details on what units have so far received the MK22 or which might soon. The sniper rifle is also being adopted by the Marine Corps, which announced in November 2024 that it had been fielded to all of its infantry and reconnaissance units and training schools. The new rifles arrive amid a Marine Corps-wide overhaul of its marksmanship training, which includes building new ranges at major training centers. Fort Benning's largest firing range, the Burroughs Range, was completed in 1976 and was originally designed for heavy sniper training with armored targets and a moving target rail system 800 meters from shooters. To make room for the MK22, the range will now initially be upgraded for soldiers to practice with targets at distances between 800 and 1,100 meters. Further work will extend that distance to 1,200 meters away in the coming years. However, as part of the range upgrades, the Army is removing a 225-meter berm and tracks, which will give soldiers an additional line of sight to distant targets and an area to install new trackless moving targets. A Marine Corps reply-all email apocalypse has an incredible real-life ending Army shuts down its sole active-duty information operations command Army plans to close more than 20 base museums in major reduction Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops The Navy's new recruiting commercial puts the 'dirt wars' in the past
