U.S. special operations forces this summer
will begin testing a new assault rifle, which is expected to be more
accurate and less cumbersome than current weapons.
Known as the special operations combat assault rifle, or SCAR,
the weapon comes in 5.56 mm light and 7.62 mm heavy versions that are
designated the Mk 16 SCAR-L and Mk 17 SCAR-H. Variants include standard,
close quarters combat and sniper.
The SCAR-L is intended for close combat while the SCAR-H is meant
for longer ranges. The initial production plan also includes an Mk 18
enhanced grenade launcher. More variants are expected to evolve from the
core design.
Troops will be able to fire a variety of ammunition from the same
rifle, and the entire SCAR family will have interchangeable parts, said
Army Lt. Col. Deac Heilig, systems acquisition manager at the U.S.
Special Operations Command.
The manufacturer of the rifle, FN Herstal, is testing different interchangeable barrels, he said in an interview.
Commonality of parts between SCAR versions is meant to reduce the
training, supply and maintenance burdens. “Currently our special
operations folks have a golf bag filled with guns,” said Paul Evancoe,
director of military operations at FN Manufacturing. “We’ve given them a
truly modular weapon … That eliminates the requirement for all the
other clubs in the bag.”
The SCAR-L will replace the M4A1 close-quarters battle rifle and
Mk 12 weapons now used by special operators. The SCAR-H will replace the
M14 and Mk 11. All six variants of the two main versions share the same
control arrangement, handling and maintenance procedures. “Once you’re
trained on the gun, it’s the same for any variant,” said Evancoe.
Common parts also help cut costs, Evancoe noted. “They engineered
it with a concept of keeping the cost of manufacturing down for both
heavy and light by using just about the same stuff for everything.” The
one-piece rail and frame of the new rifle enables the operator to change
and level barrels quickly, which permits tailoring the gun to different
situations.
All SCAR versions also use the same accessories, including sights
and scopes. They will accommodate the accessory kit known as “special
operations peculiar modification,” now under development for the current
M4 rifle. SCAR can also be fitted with M4-style grips and other
aftermarket items. “Special ops guys love to customize their personal
weapons,” said Evancoe.
SOCOM launched the program in September 2003, and touted SCAR as
the first assault-rifle competition since 1941. Fourteen operators
tested competing weapons at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane,
Ind.
After it was selected to make the rifle, FN Herstal continued to
modify the design based on input from users. Operators, for example,
asked for a folding sight. FN engineers at the company’s
rapid-prototyping facility in Belgium fabricated one overnight. A
pushbutton lock for the sight was added in hours. “To duplicate that
capability [in the United States] would require a heck of a capital
investment,” said Evancoe.
A SOCOM team continues to visit the Herstal facility to review
engineering changes to the weapon. “This is a very efficient way to do
it because the contracting officer who has to approve the changes is
sitting right there with the operators,” he added.
Relying on anthropometric analysis, SCAR designers sized the
pistol grip to accommodate most hands. Ambidextrous safety mechanisms,
magazine and bolt releases, and charging handles can be used by
southpaws and even by operators wounded in combat. A telescoping,
folding stock adjusts the length of the weapon to individual body size
and firing positions, and makes the SCAR easier to hide under clothing
or in small bags. The folding stock is also an advantage for operators
parachuting from aircraft, fast-roping from helicopters or simply
entering or leaving ground vehicles, explained Evancoe.
FN engineers gave the SCAR-L and SCAR-H a relatively low rate of
fire of 600 to 650 rounds per minute on automatic. Most weapons like the
M16 and M14 fire around 800 rounds per minute but make it difficult to
hold the weapon on target for the full burst. “A high cyclic rate
doesn’t buy you anything,” said Evancoe. “If you’re more accurate with a
lower rate of fire, you’ll use less ammunition because you can put your
first, second and third rounds on target.”
SOCOM wants the rifle to fire both existing and
yet-to-be-developed rounds, said Heilig. “The exact caliber and
ammunition will be determined based on optimum accuracy and lethality in
each of the intended operational scenarios as well as availability.” A
gas port selector was engineered into the SCAR to accommodate new types
of ammunition.
Another SOCOM priority was reliability in harsh operating
environments. Special coatings make the rifle suitable for Navy SEALs,
who may have to fire weapons that were submerged for long periods.
The manufacturer claims that the weapon will fire 90,000 rounds
without overhauls. The intended barrel life is 35,000 to 40,000
rounds—twice that of M16-family weapons. Barrels can be changed in the
field, which cuts back on depot maintenance, said Evancoe.
SCAR prototypes will be distributed to operators for testing on
an undisclosed schedule. “What they’re going to do is tweak that gun and
come back with engineering change proposals,” said Evancoe. FN Herstal
will produce the rifles at its South Carolina manufacturing line. The
company has made M16A-2s and A-4s for U.S. military for the last five
years and will use the same production machinery and workers for SCAR.
The original SCAR solicitation specified production quantities of
84,000 SCAR-L standard, 28,000 SCAR-L for close-quarters combat, 12,000
SCAR-L sniper, 15,000 SCAR-H standard, 7,000 SCAR-H close-quarter
combat and, 12,000 SCAR-H sniper variants.
