The U.S. Army announced it has reached an agreement with Barrett, the gun’s maker, on a $49.9 million, 5-year contract to acquire the MK22 Multi-role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle.
According to a recent service news release, the Army awarded the deal to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc. to acquire the MK22 MRAD rifle as the Army’s new sniper weapon system.
“The Army will procure approximately 2,800 MK22 rifles from Barrett, the current maker of the Army’s M107 .50 Caliber Long Range Sniper Rifle,” said in a statement.
The MK22 is part of the Army’s Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) Program which also includes the Leupold & Stevens (Beaverton, OR) Mark 5 HD scope and a sniper accessory kit.
The MK22 is a modular system that will be fielded with three separate calibers, the .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum and 7.62×51 NATO.
Army snipers will be able to conduct a barrel change and select calibers based on their mission operating environment.
The PSR program will allow the Army an extreme range weapon systems that is lighter than current sniper rifles and includes features that will mask the sniper signature for improved survivability.
SOCOM previously awarded a contract to Barrett to purchase the MRAD as part of their Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) program.