The Singapore Army has a new weapon.

The Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) 6940E-SG has been progressively introduced to the country's combat forces since Apr. 24, 2024.

The weapon is a Light Machine Gun (LMG) that will replace the Section Automatic Weapon (SAW) Ultimax 100, which is made by the homegrown ST Engineering and has been in service since 1982.

The announcement of the latest weapon was made on Facebook on May 20.

According to the post, the Colt IAR was evaluated and procured in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

Specifications

Photos and details shared by the Singapore Army, which is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), highlighted the main differences between the Colt IAR and the previous SAW Ultimax 100.

"It is a closed-bolt rifle with many features that provide enhanced lethality, improved ergonomics and customisation to better suit the needs of our soldiers," a caption accompanying one of the photos of the new weapon read.

Some new features include the pairing of a Red Dot Sight with a 3x Magnifier Scope, as well as four modes of Laser Aiming Device (LAD) for different combat scenarios.

The new weapon can be as effectively used by both left and right-handed soldiers, who can adjust the foregrip position and length of the buttstock for a more personalised fit.

With the buttstock retracted, the LMG is only 85cm in length, which is 17 per cent shorter than the SAW Ultimax 100.

The shorter length makes the weapon more manoeuvrable in tight spaces and is suitable for close quarter combat in urban environment, the Singapore Army added.

Other details

It was previously reported in 2023 that Colt's IAR was competing with Heckler & Koch's M27 5.56 mm IAR as the Singapore Army's new weapon of choice.

The Colt IAR is an LMG based on the M-16/M-4 Carbine family, it was further reported.

The new weapon, designed to provide sustained, fully automatic fire, is lighter with a shorter barrel and a higher rate of fire.

Singapore has been producing weapons for its own military, starting with the production of the Colt AR-15 and M-16 assault rifles as its standard-issue rifles beginning in the 1970s.

It later developed the SAR-21.

All photos via Our Singapore Army Facebook