Famed U.S. gun maker Barrett has announced that it has received the first MK22 precision sniper rifle delivery order from USSOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command).
As noted by the company, the submission of its initial production MRAD MK22 (Multi-Role Adaptive Design Mark 22) rifles have met all requirements for the U.S. Department of Defense contract for ASR (Advanced Sniper Rifle) in support of USSOCOM.
Since being awarded the contract in March 2019, the MK22 has completed all aspects of the Production Qualification Testing and Operational Testing phases.
As a result, Barrett has received the initial production order and deliveries will commence in January 2021.
“We are pleased to have reached this milestone with the project and look forward to providing our warfighters with this highly capable platform,” stated Joel Miller, Director of Global Military Sales.
USSOCOM initially announced in 2016 they were in search of a modular, multi-caliber bolt action sniper rifle capable of converting between .300 Norma Magnum, .338 Norma Magnum and 7.62x51mm through a “full and open competition.”
The MK22 is a modified version of the market-ready Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design. It increases a sniper’s combat effectiveness and survivability through superior precision fire and greater stand-off distances.
This rifle provides a weapon system that exceeds the performance of current sniper rifles. The MK22 is superior to the current inventory through increased accuracy, portability, versatility, munitions, and both day and night target
acquisition.
The MK22 increases a sniper’s combat effectiveness and survivability through superior precision fire and greater stand-off distances. The MK22 also increases hit probability at all intermediate ranges over current systems and is capable of completing all current sniper tasks to a higher degree of probability.