U.S. Marine Corps turns to Knight’s Armament for small arms suppressors

The United States Marine Corps takes new steps to receive new suppressors for use with M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR), M4 Carbine and M4A1 Close Quarter Battle Weapon.

The Marine Corps is turning to its trusted supplier – Knight’s Armament Company of Titusville, Florida – to design, develop, build and supply a new generation of suppressors for their small arms.

“The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with Knight’s Armament Company (KAC), 701 Columbia Blvd, Titusville, FL 32780, for up to 25,853, 5.56mm Small Arms Suppressors to be used on the following weapon systems: M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR), M4 Carbine and M4A1 Close Quarter Battle Weapon,” according to a presolicitation notice at the U.S. government’s main contracting website.

Fundamentally, the KAC Small Arms Suppressor will enable the U. S. Marine Corps to continue to use their existing bayonets, as well as their existing Small Arms Collimators (SAC), Laser Boresights (LBS), and Blank Firing Adapters (BFA), all of which are critical to accuracy and lethality in both training and combat. These items are interoperable with the current Small Arms Suppressor.

Interestingly, KAC’s suppressor is designed primarily to be used with the Infantry Automatic Rifle platform, chambered for 5.56 NATO and marketed more towards the SOF and private military contractor communities than to conventional infantry forces.