May 18th, 2009
New scope will improve SAW gunners’ range
Marine Times:
The Corps will purchase more than 10,500 SAW Day Optics, or nearly one for every SAW in the Corps’ inventory, Arthaud said. Officials signed a $33 million contract with Trijicon, of Wixom, Mich., on April 30, and plan to field the device beginning early in 2010 as quantities become available, said Karl Solomon, optics team lead for SysCom’s optics and nonlethal systems program.
This is the first time the weapon will have its own designated optic. The Corps’ Rifle Combat Optic — often known as the Advanced Combat Optic Gunsight — has been used with the SAW in some environments, but the SDO has been adapted specifically to handle the SAW’s larger recoil and will eventually reach virtually every infantry squad.
Part of Trijicon’s ACOG family, the SDO will have 3.5x magnification and slightly longer eye relief to compensate for the SAW’s recoil. The SDO is also going to work with the upcoming IAR, which the Marines will use to replace some SAWs.
The Army apparently isn’t interested in the SDO. Big Green uses the M145 machine gun optic which is also compatible with the M240B.
