LOCKED & LOADED: SAF SHOOTING CONTINGENT WEAPONS
Take a closer look at the weaponry at this year’s ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet.They are the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) top marksmen, and these are the weapons they wield when they take on the region’s top shooters in the 33rd ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM).
Shooters from the SAF Shooting Contingent (SSC) showcase their skills on four weapons in five categories: Pistol (Men and Ladies), Rifle, Carbine and Machine Gun.
PIONEER dives deep into the specifications and special features of the SSC’s weaponry.
Pistol: KMR W-02 Spectra S
Country of Origin: Czech Republic
The SSC’s pistol of choice features a 5-inch heavy barrel for high accuracy as well as a textured slide and flared magazine well for fast reloading.
It measures 22cm from barrel to hammer and weighs about 1.3kg with an empty magazine.
This pistol is approved by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) for use in competition shooting.
The slimmer grip makes it suitable for smaller hands, making it the weapon of choice for both the SSC’s Men and Ladies Pistol shooters.
Rifle & Carbine: Rainier Arms AR-15
Country of Origin: United States of America
Pioneer servicemen will be familiar with the AR-15, a lightweight, semi-automatic rifle. First adopted in 1967, it was the SAF soldier’s primary weapon until the introduction of the M-16S1 six years later.
The current Rainer Arms version of the AR-15 builds on the original ArmaLite Rifle design (from which the rifle gets its name) and is made for precise firing.
The AR-15 rifle used by SSC shooters in the Rifle discipline has a 20-inch barrel, while the AR-15 carbine featured in the Carbine discipline has a 16-inch barrel.
The longer and weightier rifle is more stable, allowing it to shoot targets at a longer distance.
The shorter carbine is lighter, more compact and easily manoeuvrable.
The rifles and carbines are outfitted with additional optics to help the shooters keep their groupings tight throughout the weapon’s effective range of around 365 to 550m.
Machine Gun: FN Herstal Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général or General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)
Country of Origin: Belgium
The GPMG was designed in the 1950s by Belgian firearms manufacturer Fabrique National (FN) Herstal. It takes its name from the English translation of its French original Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général, meaning “machine gun for general support”.
It is 1.23m long and weighs about 11kg unloaded.
Chambered to fire 7.62mm rounds, this belt-fed machine serves accurate and sustained firepower at an effective range of up to 1.8km when mounted on a tripod, with the use of an optical sight.
In the AARM Machine Gun discipline, shooters run the weapons “stock” from the prone position – instead of a tripod, they stabilise the weapon using only the in-built bipod while supporting the buttstock with their shoulder. This is the ultimate test of marksmanship with the gun.
The teams operate in pairs comprising a Gunner and Gunner Assistant, taking turns to fire and hold down the bipod legs to steady the gun respectively.
For AARM, they have been hard at work to hone their triggering skills, in order to fire single shots and hit the target accurately at 500m and 400m.
