WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is shipping new rifles to Afghanistan that will enable snipers to hit a target nearly 4,000 feet away, officials said. The XM2010 rifle can hit targets a quarter-mile farther away than the weapon currently in use, USA Today reported.Officials said the extra range is important because insurgents firing down from ridges and mountaintops take advantage of gravity, which helps their bullets travel beyond the range of Army snipers."They're not outgunning us, but they are putting our soldiers in a predicament where 800 meters (2,625 feet) may not be enough," said Col. Douglas Tamilio, referring to the maximum range of the current M24 sniper rifle. "You want to give guys the capability to do those things they need to do at those ranges."
Afghan insurgents are also more willing to shoot at U.S. troops than previously. Gunfire attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan spiked over the past year since topping 1,000 attacks in July 2009.
The new rifles also have a more powerful scope, and incorporate a muzzle flash device that dampens the noise and flash of a shot.
The Army's 2,500 snipers will start receiving the new weapons early next year. The current sniper rifle has been in service since 1988.
