Weapon Quadrant Mount
The Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center is studying the usage of weapon quadrant mounts (WQMs) for inclusion in the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) kit. They have issued a market survey notification to seek commercially available WQM offerings and associated hardware.
The market survey has two objectives. The first is to collect current cost, schedule and performance information in order to place near-term small purchase orders for WQM subsystems and associated hardware. The second objective is to gather any additional data that vendors may supply that will enable the government to develop a possible future specification/solicitation that could allow for larger WQM procurements.
The USSOCOM SOPMOD program provides small arms accessories to Army, Navy and Air Force special forces operators. In 1993, USSOCOM arranged with the Naval Sea Systems Command to establish the SOPMOD Program Management Office at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, at Crane, Ind. Since then, the SOPMOD program has provided joint special operations forces with standardized, versatile weapons accessories to meet all needs across SOF mission scenarios. These accessories increase SOF survivability and lethality by providing enhanced weapon performance, target acquisition and day and night precision aiming. The SOPMOD program provides these accessories to SOF operators when the accessories are developed to the point that they are operationally suitable, affordable, sustainable and funded.
SOPMOD is an evolutionary acquisition program that continues to change and to upgrade its subsystems with new combat technologies. SOF operators utilize multiple sighting accessories from the SOPMOD kit. These accessories incorporate iron sights, laser sights, image intensification sights, thermal imaging sights and optical (glass) rifle scopes to provide SOF operators with accurate aiming in day and night conditions. Depending on the mission, the SOF operator may be required to attach and detach several sighting accessories to the same weapon to configure the weapon for different mission profiles. SOPMOD aiming systems are configured for direct line-of-sight, low-angle fire, and are predominantly designed for 5.56 and 7.62 caliber small arms.
Certain SOPMOD systems, however, are of utility on crew-served weapons of larger caliber, such as the M2 series .50 caliber and MK 19 40 mm grenade launcher. These and other SOF crew-served weapons require higher angles of fire. Most current mounts in the U.S. stock system inventory do not have the ability to incrementally incline direct line-of-sight sighting systems. This forces the gunner to guess the elevation at longer ranges, leading to targets being missed, ammunition wasted and less effective enemy engagement. The U.S. Army has developed quadrant mounts for the M2 and MK 19, however, these have not been tested for adaptability to SOPMOD program subsystems and joint SOF missions.
Recently, SOF units and the SOPMOD program have conducted user assessments with a variety of alternative commercial-off-theshelf quadrant sight items. The SOPMOD program has a need for these types of items and other COTS WQM alternatives that provide simple and accurate range inclination of installed aiming subsystems. The potential future demand for WQMs has caused the SOPMOD program to issue a sources-sought market survey and consider a future competitive acquisition for WQMs and supporting hardware.
The operational concept for the WQM on SOF crew-served weapons would allow the operator to attach the WQM to either the M2 .50 caliber machine gun or the MK 19. The operator attaches one or more in-line sighting systems to the WQM and zeroes the sights to the weapon. Ideally, the operator would be able to attach up to three separate sights on the WQM. The WQM should have at least one and preferably three MILSTD 1913 rail surface(s) to accept various sights.
An objective sighting combination could be: rapid aiming—for example, an Aimpoint series red dot sight, miniature red dot sight, or SU-231/PEQ reflex sight; a night passive-aiming sight such as the AN/ PVS-17 mini night sight or SU-232/PAS thermal sight; and an active aiming day/night aiming laser, such as the AN/PEQ 11 or LA-5/PEQ. The weapon operator would use night vision goggles or one of the attached weapon sights to detect and identify a long-range target. The operator or an assistant would determine the range using a handheld rangefinder or other means. Once calculated, the operator would apply the correct range setting to the WQM, aim at the target and fire.
Immediate weapon WQM needs include the M2, .50 caliber machine gun (MG) (.50 Browning MG), other M2 series MGs, such as M2 heavy Browning, and the MK 19 MOD 3, 40 mm. Possible future weapon WQM needs include the MK 47, 40 mm (as an emergency backup system to the existing multi-mission sight).
Immediate aiming accessory WQM needs include the AN/PEQ-2 infrared illuminator, AN/PEQ-2A infrared illuminator, AN/PVS-17A miniature night vision sight, M68 CCOS and ECOS-N (Aimpoint series). Future aiming accessory WQM needs include AN/PEQ-11, durable aiming illumination laser; LA-5/PEQ, illuminator, integrated, small arms; SU-231/PEQ reflex sight; and the SU-232/PAS thermal sight. Crane has stated that it is open to proposals that can meet some or all of the requirements; however, according to Crane, “Potential vendors should not be discouraged by the multiple weapons and aiming systems requiring WQMs, [but] rather should consider providing information on one or more of the weapon/aiming accessory assemblies. ♦