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US Army
W A R F A R E
Soldiers from Group Support Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct weapons training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
EVALUATING SMALL ARMS FOR SOF OPERATORS Small arms and light weapons are a critical capability for special operations forces (SOF), whether they be required for personal defence or offensive action. by Andrew White
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omprising handguns, assault rifles, personal defence weapons (PDWs), light machine guns (LMGs), sharpshooters and sniper systems, the small arms market continues to be dominated by military and paramilitary organisations with the sector expected to reach a total value of around $4.92 billion by 2020, according to Markets and Markets research report in 2017. Describing an annual growth rate of nearly four per cent, the report described how the further proliferation of small arms is attributed to growth in “rising conflicts, wars, cross-border disputes and terrorism worldwide, forcing armed forces to procure more advanced and
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efficient small arms and weapons for their different operations”. However, despite the prevalence of multiple requirements across the international market, developments in small arms technology continue to grow at a relatively slow pace with the most exciting developments focusing heavily upon the integration of tactical accessories designed to enhance lethality, accuracy, ergonomics and mobility. Such efforts include the proliferation of ambidextrous controls (designed to allow a shooter to engage in left- and right-handed shooting); lighter weight ,and networked optical weapon sights (for enhanced target acquisition and lethality); as well as reconfigurable buttstocks, pistol
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grips and foregrips in order to maximise ergonomic handling of each weapon.
Indian Requirements The largest requirement in small arms across Asia Pacific continues to be pursued by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) which over the last few years, has sequentially postponed the procurement of CQB carbines for SOF. Ongoing evaluation programmes selected Israeli Weapon Industries’ (IWI’s) ACE carbine following multiple lengthy field evaluations against competition which included Colt Defense, Beretta, and Ceska Zbrojovka’s (CZ). The Indian Army’s Para SF Commandos are seeking a 5.56mm x 45mm solution with short