Estonian Centre for Defence Investments revamps sniper rifle provision
The SAKO TRG M10 comes with both an optical and a thermal sight. (Photo: ECDI/Kermo Pastarus)
Estonia upgrades its sniper rifle for better, longer precision.
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) has announced a renewal of its sniper rifle arsenal. In late August 2024, Defence Force and Defence League snipers conducted firing exercises at the Sirgala training ground with newly delivered specialised weapons that would replace many of the sniper rifles previously in use.
Finnish company SAKO won the tender to supply new sniper rifles and the ECDI-distributed SAKO TRG M10s to the snipers. Given their previous use of the company’s rifles, the exercises in August to align the sights on the M10s did not require ground-up learning of the rifle’s profile.
The TRG M10 is equipped with both an optical and thermal sight, as well as a sound suppressor. Compared to previous models, the effectiveness of the weapon has been enhanced in various weather conditions and lighting situations. The new sniper rifle also has a modular design, delivering greater flexibility in terms of assembling the weapon system. The bolt-action weapon is available in three calibres: .308 Win, .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Mag with a short or long forestock.
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Captain Ahti Habanen, chief armourer of the Estonian Defence Forces, said the upgrades to the weapon would enhance its firing accuracy, speed and impact, adding that depending on conditions, the shooter could now choose between two barrels: with the shorter barrel, the weapon covered a distance of around 1km (more than half a miles), but with the longer barrel, it could hit targets up to 1.5km (almost a mile) away. That is significantly further than they could reach with their old rifle, the TRG 42, also from SAKO.
Ramil Lipp, strategic category manager (armaments) for ECDI who organised the procurement of the new sniper rifles, explained why the time was right for the upgrade.
“The SAKO TRG M10 is a well-known and widely-used sniper rifle globally, being in service in several neighbouring countries,” Lipp remarked. “For instance, Sweden has acquired a similar configuration in addition to other SAKO weapons. It is gratifying to see that a mature system in active production by our northern neighbours has reached Estonia, thus renewing our top shooting capability.”
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