More than $3 million in congressionally-directed funding secured by U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) for Remington Arms to begin upgrading the U.S. Army’s fleet of 3,000 M-24 Sniper rifles was approved Sept. 30.
The funds were included in The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 2638), which was signed by President Bush last week.
M-24 Sniper Weapons systems have been fielded to the U.S. armed services since 1987. Remington has been maintaining these weapons in Ilion, New York, and will be responsible for M-24 upgrades in the future.
In Ilion, the company currently manufactures most of the M-24 sniper rifles used by U.S. servicemen and women. Currently over 900 employees work in the plant. Five hundred Remington Ilion employees will work on the M-24 upgrade.
