Ultimax 100

For other uses, see Ultimax.
Ultimax 100
Ultimax 100 Section Automatic Weapon (SAW)
TypeLight machine gun, Squad automatic weapon
Place of originSingapore
Service history
In service1982–present[1]
Used bySee Users
WarsBougainville Civil War
Yugoslav Wars
Anti-guerrilla operations in Indonesia & the Philippines
2006 Fijian coup d'état
Solomon Islands coup
War in Afghanistan
Sri Lankan Civil War
Production history
DesignerL. James Sullivan for Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics)
Designed1978[1]
Manufacturer
  • CIS: 1982–2000[1]
  • ST Kinetics: 2000–present[1]
Produced1982–present[1]
No. built~80,000[1]
VariantsSee variants
Specifications
Mass
  • Mark 2: 4.75 kg (10.47 lb)[1]
  • Mark 3: 4.90 kg (10.8 lb)[1]
  • 6.8 kg (15 lb) when loaded 100 rounds
Length
  • Mark 2: 1,030 mm (40.6 in) with buttstock, 800 mm (31.5 in) w/o buttstock[1]
  • Mark 3: 1,024 mm (40.3 in) with buttstock, 810 mm (31.9 in) w/o buttstock[1]
Barrel length
  • Standard: 508 mm (20.0 in)[1]
  • Ultimax 100 para: 330 mm (13.0 in)[1]
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO[1]
Caliber5.56 mm (0.22 in)[1]
BarrelsSingle barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 6 grooves)[1]
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt[1]
Rate of fire400–600 rounds/min[1]
Muzzle velocity970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (M193 cartridge)
945 m/s (3,100.4 ft/s) (SS109/M855 cartridge)
Effective firing range100–1,200 m sight adjustments[1]
Maximum firing range460 m (M193 cartridge)
1,300 m (SS109/M855 cartridge)
Feed system100-round drum magazine or 30-round STANAG M16 box magazine[1]
SightsRear aperture sight and front post
472 mm (18.6 in) sight radius[1]

The Ultimax 100 is a Singapore-made 5.56mm light machine gun, developed by the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics) by a team of engineers under the guidance of American firearms designer L. James Sullivan.[1] The weapon is extremely accurate due to its constant-recoil operating system[2] and is one of the lightest machine guns in the world.[3]

Work on a new light support weapon for the Singapore Army began in 1978. The weapon is produced by CIS (presently STK—Singapore Technologies Kinetics), initially in the Mark 1 version, later—the Mark 2, and currently, in the Mark 3 and Mark 4 variant. The Ultimax 100 (also called the U 100) is used in significant numbers by the armed forces of Singapore, Croatia and the Philippines.[1] The Mark 3 variant is currently used in the Singapore Armed Forces primarily as a support arm, and is both classified and known by soldiers as the SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon).[4]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Richard J, 2008.
  2. ^ Andrew, 1989
  3. ^ Capie, David (2004). Under the Gun: The Small Arms Challenge in the Pacific. Wellington: Victoria University Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0864734532.
  4. ^ "Small and Deadly". Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2012-10-22.