Colt IAR Introduced Into Singaporean Service

The Singapore Army has begun progressively introducing the brand new Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) 6940E-SG into service since April 24, according to the Army.

In a move back to an AR-style platform, the Army together with the republic’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) tapped Colt in May 2023 to replace their inventory of Ultimax 100 Mk2 light machine guns (LMG) with the IAR 6940 chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO. The Singapore-made Ultimax 100 manufactured by ST Engineering has served the Army since 1982.

A Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) statement said, “the Singapore Army has conducted extensive trials and evaluations of various weapon models, as part of continued force modernisation efforts. The Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle 6940 has been assessed to be a suitable replacement for the Section Automatic Weapon.”

The IAR is now equipped with a red dot sight with a 3x magnifier scope as well as a multi-purpose Laser Aiming Device (LAD) capable of 4 modes, visible or infra-red (IR) laser, IR illuminator or white-light weaponlight.

Furthermore, the IAR with its buttstock retracted is 17 percent shorter than the Ultimax, an advantage for the close quarter combat in urban environments.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:Singapore Army)