The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has announced it is buying the .50 BMG Barrett M107A1 anti-materiel rifle and the Multi Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) sniper rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum.
The contract with Barrett calls for the procurement of 40 M107A1 and 42 MRAD rifles to the tune of $2,735,200 (U.S. dollars). The cost covers optics, suppressors and all the ballistic computer auxiliary equipment that comprises a total system.
The service says the M107A1 will give its soldiers the ability to identify and engage vehicle or installation targets out to 1,500m (4,921 ft or .9 miles). The MRAD, meanwhile, is also effective out to 1,500m. It’s set to replace the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare 7.62mm sniper rifle, which has reached the end of its service life and is only effective out to 800m.
The weapons were picked after extensive testing and feedback from “qualified operators,” the NZDF says. The MRAD specifically was chosen after six weeks of testing various rifles at Waiouru on the country’s North Island. More than 10,000 rounds were fired during the rigorous evaluation process.
Both rifles will be used by infantry units in the New Zealand Army and New Zealand SAS, with introduction slated for mid-2018.
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