America's Army: Operations Weapons FAQ
By: Mike Hamlin 6/15/04 cmhamlin@mchsi.com

Table of Contents
=================

1. Copyright Info
2. Version History
3. US Weapons
4. M4 SOPMOD
5. OPFOR Weapons
6. IF Weapons
7. Other Equipment
8. Credits

=================

1. Copyright Info

This document is protected by copyright, 2003. This FAQ may not be used
to make profit. There is no illegal reproduction or distribution of
this FAQ. If you want to use this FAQ on your site, please notify and
make sure that the FAQ appears unaltered.

=================

2. Version History

5/21/03 - First version published.
5/24/03 - Fixed some errors and made some corrections to weapon specs.
8/09/03 - Added necessary info to cover America's Army v1.9.
11/30/03 - Added necessary info to cover America's Army v2.0.
6/15/04 - Added necessary info to cover America's Army v2.1 and fixed a
minor formatting issue.

=================

3. US Weapons

These are always available to you. Depending on how much training you
have completed, you can choose which one you want by selecting a squad
role. Sniper training is required to an Advanced Marksman and Medic
training is required to be a Combat Medic.

Number of magazines shows how many extra magazines you start with,
magazine size shows how many rounds are in each magazine, modes of fire
shows the different firing modes the weapon has, and roles show what
squad roles use this weapon.

M16A2 Rifle
Number of magazines: 6
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Burst
Roles: Squad Leader, Fireteam Leader, Rifleman
This is the basic infantry weapon that most soldiers in the team use.
Basic training completion is the only requirement for it. It is easy to
use and fairly accurate at long distance shooting. Single mode should
be used when shooting at a distance in order to conserve ammo, but the
Burst mode is better in close range situations. In Burst mode, the gun
fires 3 rounds with each pull of the trigger. A solid, reliable gun
that can be used for just about anything. Beware: the gun is delicate
and more prone to jams than other weapons.

M4 Carbine
Number of magazines: 6
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Burst
Roles: Squad Leader, Fireteam Leader, and Rifleman

The M4 is a lot like the M16 with the same specs and firing modes. This
weapon is not available on every map. It replaces the M16 on some maps.

M4A1 Assault Carbine
Number of magazines: 6
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Auto
Roles: Squad Leader, Fireteam Leader, and Rifleman

An improvement over the M4. This is available only on certain missions.
This weapon features a fully automatic firing mode, making it better at
close range combat than the M16 or M4. Also, the sight is a special
reflex sight, allowing slight magnification. This allows you to fire at
distant targets with a little more ease than the M16, but keep in mind
that in auto, the gun eats up ammo very quickly, so make sure you're
hitting the target.

M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon)
Number of magazines: 3
Magazine size: 200
Firing modes: Auto and Supported
Roles: Automatic Rifleman

The SAW may look like a good close range weapon but it is actually
meant for suppression. It's huge clip size and fast fire rate make it
ideal for hitting/killing multiple enemies but beware it's inaccuracy
at long distances. The gun is hard to use at medium to long distances
because of how unstable it is when firing. To help against this, you
can lie down and set the weapon up on it's bipod. This limits your
range of motion and prevents you from moving but the weapon will be
stabilized and you will get much better accuracy. It can also be used
in quick bursts to suppress enemies and keep them from firing at you or
your friends.

M203 Grenade Launcher
Number of magazines: 6 (rifle) 6 (grenade)
Magazine size: 30 (rifle) 1 (grenade)
Roles: Grenadier
Firing modes: Single, Burst, and Grenade

A devastating medium to long range weapon, the M203 grenade launcher is
an attachment to an M16. The M203 handles just like the M16 with both
Single and Burst modes of fire but it also features a grenade launcher.
In Grenade mode, the weapon is elevated slightly and pulling the
trigger launches a 40mm grenade with a wide blast radius. Since it is
single shot, you must reload after each grenade is fired. Also, the
grenades only arm after traveling around 20 meters or 9 full rotations,
so it should be used to attack targets at medium to long distances.
Launched grenades that strike an opponent without arming can hurt or
kill them. Your supply of grenades is very limited, so make good use of
each one.

M24 SWS (Sniper Weapon System)
Number of magazines: 45 individual bullets
Magazine size: 5 rounds can fit in the chamber
Roles: M24 Advanced Marksman
Firing Modes: Single and Supported

The M24 is a bolt action sniper rifle capable of hitting targets at
extreme distances (300 to 800 meters). Although you can't even see that
far, it's scope allows you to zoom in and scan an area for hostiles
very easily. The weapon is single shot, requires recharge (ejecting the
spent shell) after each shot, and reloads slowly so it is key that you
kill your opponent quickly because the M24 has no reticule and is not
suitable for close range combat. It's a one shot kill, however, so make
use of the bipod. Lie down and support the weapon to increase accuracy.
Like this, you can cover the area in front of you and snipe any enemies
that you see. It is a deadly weapon in the hands of a skilled marksman.

M82A1 Semi-Automatic Anti-Material Rifle
Number of magazines: 4
Magazine size: 10
Roles: M82 Advanced Marksmen
Firing modes: Single and Supported

The M82 is sniper rifle used to destroy light vehicles or unexploded
equipment from a distance. Like the M24, it has a powerful scope and a
very long range. However, the 50 caliber rounds give this gun a huge
recoil. Even though it's semi-automatic and magazine-fed, it's still
quite slow to fire and is not a good choice for up close and personal
conflicts. It is impossible to maintain your scope when you fire, so
you must reacquire the target after each shot. Like the M24, lying down
and using the bipod increases your accuracy greatly.

SPR (Special Purpose Rifle)
Number of magazines: 4
Magazine size: 20
Roles: Special Forces Advanced Marksman
Firing Modes: Single and Supported

A variant of the M16, the SPR is a sniper rifle far removed from the
M24 and the M82. The SPR features a larger magazine size than both of
the aforementioned sniper rifles and it is also semi-automatic. The
fire rate is a little slower than the M16 but this weapon is built for
long-range engagement. It also has a bipod for extreme distance
shooting and a QD suppressor to muffle the sound and flash signature.

M9 Semi-Automatic Pistol
Number of Magazines: 2
Magazine size: 15
Roles: Advanced Marksmen
Firing Modes: Single

The M9 is the standard issue pistol in the US army. All Advanced
Marksmen carry this weapon by default. The M9 is semi-automatic, so it
has a good rate of fire but it is inaccurate and has a small magazine
size. It is meant as a last resort, self-defense weapon for advanced
marksmen, whose primary weapons are not suitable at all for close range
combat. Note that the screen will not magnify at all when using the
weapon's sights. This pistol is carried with a holster, you can have
two weapons but still carry the pistol, it just won't be available
until you dump one of your shouldered weapons. You will not drop this
weapon if you are killed, so the M9 cannot be picked up and used by an
enemy.

M136 AT4
Number of Magazines: N/A
Magazine size: Single shot
Roles: Special Forces
Firing modes: Single

This is a recoilless anti-tank rifle used to destroy light vehicles.
This bulky weapon is similar to the RPG7 in that you cannot fire it
while moving or while in the prone position. The weapon has iron sights
with 100, 200, 300, 400, or 500 meter range adjustment. Note that
unlike the RPG7, the AT4 rockets tend to travel in a much more stable
trajectory. The downside is that the AT4 is a one-use weapon so once
you have fired, the weapon must be discarded. The AT4 is not available
on all maps.

=================

4. M4 SOPMOD

A new twist to the Special Forces class, is the M4 SOPMOD (Special
Operation Peculiar Modification) rifle. This is much like the M4 except
that it has several parts that you can change to fit your playing
style. This is only available to you if you pass SF training and you
can only use it on SF maps. Here are the different parts you can attach
to the SOPMOD:

SIGHTS:

Iron Sights
The standard iron sights found on almost any weapon.

M68 Reflex Scope
This sight limits your peripheral vision and provides a degree of
magnification. This sight is suitable for medium range firing.

Trijicon ACOG Reflex
This ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) is used with the iron
sights. It provides a small red dot for precise close range aiming.
Because both eyes are used when aiming, you will retain most of your
peripheral vision.

Trijicon 4X ACOG
A special 4X magnification scope. In long range combat, this sight is
essential for accurate gun fire.

BOTTOM:

M203A1
A smaller version of the standard M203 found on the M16. This fires the
same 40mm grenades. Note that a leaf sight is attached to the top of
the M4, so you cannot use this with the Trijicon ACOG Reflex.

M581A3 Flare
Similar to the M203A1, except this launches flares. They illuminate an
area for about ten seconds. Again, the leaf sight prevents you from
using the Trijicon ACOG Reflex with this mod.

Harris Bipod
The bipod will provide more stable and accurate fire if you deploy it
while in the prone position.

BARREL:

QD Suppressor
This attachment will muffle the noise and flash signature of the M4
when it is fired.

HEAT SHIELDS:

Heat shields are the default parts for all sections. They protect the
user's hands from the heat the gun generates but you don't have to
worry about this when playing.

=================

5. OPFOR weapons

These all appear to be Russian made. You can pick one up off of a dead
enemy anytime you happen to find one lying around. Each one is a
counterpart to one of the US weapons, so if an enemy was using an M16,
you'll find an AK-47. I'm not going to list the number of magazines
because the ammo you get with an OPFOR weapon depends on how much the
original user has already fired.

AK-47
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Auto
US counterpart: M16

This gun is obviously better suited for close range combat because of
it's fully automatic firing mode but the M16 is more accurate at
distance shooting.

AK-74
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Auto
US counterpart: M4

A better close range weapon than the M4, this gun has a fully automatic
firing mode. It doesn't have magnification on the sights and it tends
to jerk around more than the M4, but it is a better close range weapon.

AK-74su
Magazine size: 30
Firing modes: Single and Auto
US counterpart: M4A1

This weapon handles almost exactly like the M4A1 except that it doesn't
have a reflex sight. Pick it up if you're running low on ammo.

RPK
Magazine size: 100
Firing modes: Single, Auto, and Supported
US counterpart: M249

This weapon doesn't have as big a magazine size as the SAW, but it
packs a tremendous close range punch. You can easily mow down enemies
with this gun. It also has a bipod for accurate distance shooting.

GP-30
Magazine size: 30 (rifle) 1 (grenade)
Firing modes: Single, Auto, and Grenade
US counterpart: M203

An all purpose weapon, the GP30 is suitable for just about anything.
Featuring both single and automatic firing modes, it can be used to
fire at close range and medium range targets. In grenade mode, you can
engage targets at long distance and since you are using an enemy 203,
your grenades, which are actually more like rockets, will be difficult
to hear or see by the enemy. The grenades are muzzle-loaded, giving the
GP30 a slightly faster reload time and it seems that the trajectory for
the grenade is a little lower than the M203.

Mosin Nagant
Magazine size: 5 can fit in the chamber
Firing modes: Single
US counterpart: M24

The Mosin is a sniper rifle that operates exactly like the M24. It has
no bipod and the scope doesn't zoom in as close, making the gun far
less accurate.

SVD
Magazine size: 10
Firing modes: Single
US counterpart: M82

The big SVD is exactly like the M82 in terms of speed and recoil. Like
the Mosin, however, the scope doesn't zoom in as far and there is no
bipod. Note, however that you can maintain your sights after firing
this weapon.

=================

6. IF Weapons

The Indigenous Forces use a variety of OPFOR weapons, even though they
are on your team. These include the AK-74, RPK, and SVD. There are also
some weapons that are exclusive to the Indigenous Forces:

RPG-7
Number of magazines: Varies depending on mission
Magazine size: 1
Roles: RPG7 Indigenous Forces
Firing modes: Single

This rocket launcher is capable of killing multiple enemies from a
distance but it has its limitations. First of all, you cannot fire the
weapon while moving or while in the prone position and you cannot
sprint with the weapon at the ready. Secondly, the rocket tends to
travel off course; it becomes worse the longer the rocket has to go
before reaching the target. Lastly, it requires a good portion of time
to reload. Make sure no one is behind you because the backwards
discharge from firing can kill team mates if they were behind you.
Always do a quick check of your back before firing. New to version 2.1
is the addition of iron sights with 100, 200, 300, 400, or 500 meter
range adjustment.

VSS Vintorez
Number of magazines: 7
Magazine size: 10
Roles: VSS Indigenous Forces
Firing Modes: Single and Auto

This is the OPFOR equivalent to the Special Forces SPR. Compared to the
SPR, the VSS has a smaller magazine size and no bipod, making the
weapon far less accurate. However, it features a fully automatic firing
mode and its suppressor is automatically attached. The Special Forces
Marksmen carry M9 pistols with the SPR while the IF soldier wielding a
VSS comes equipped with an AKS74-u.

=================

7. Other Equipment

This gear is extra and not available on all mission. Sometimes only one
team can get it, others only certain leader roles are issued special
equipment. All roles come equipped with grenades.

M67 Frag Grenade

This weapon has a blast radius of about 10 meters. You can throw the
grenade around 80 meters, but the angle and topography can affect the
outcome of your throw. The weapon has a 5 second fuse. Soldiers caught
in the blast radius can be killed or severely injured. When a frag goes
off, there is only a certain amount of fragments. If a solider covers a
frag with his body, there is a good chance that others in the blast
radius will survive or even walk away unscathed.

M83 Smoke Grenade

This weapon creates a thick cloud of smoke that is nearly impossible to
see through. You can use it as cover or a distraction. It has a 5
second fuse and the smoke lasts for about 15-20 seconds.

M84 Flash Grenade

Sometimes called "flash-bangs" these grenades make a blinding flash and
loud bang. It can disorient and dizzy soldiers in the radius. The
closer to the center of the blast, the more severe the effects. Flash
grenades can cause the victim to lose sight and his ears will ring,
making it difficult to hear anything. It can cause a little damage but
you have to be very close to be hurt by it. This grenade has a 2 second
fuse.

M14 Thermite Grenade

Available only to the SF class, this grenade is for anti-equipment use.
When it explodes, it covers a small area with flames that burn for
around 40 seconds. This grenade is used on some missions to destroy
equipment. It can be used to injure or kill enemy soldiers but keep in
mind that the flames can still hurt you or your team mates.

Binoculars

A good solid pair of binoculars can be your best friend on some
missions. With these, you can view the areas around you in detail. It's
always a good idea to scout out an area for hostiles with your
binoculars before you move through it.

Night Vision Goggles

Essential on night time missions, the night vision goggles let you see
in the dark. However, target identification can be difficult with the
goggles and your vision narrows quite a bit.

Medical Supplies

New to version 1.9 is the Combat Medic, and with that, medical
supplies. Medics are given enough supplies to treat three people only.

=================

8. Credits

Just a thanks section here. If you find anything wrong or if you have a
suggestion/question, please e-mail me. Note that I will add the Stryker
turret and Remington 870 breacher when I get around to it, so please
don't e-mail me with questions concerning either of those two weapons.
Big thanks to those on the gamefaqs message board, especially Dark
Supreme Kai.

Gamefaqs.com - for hosting my FAQ.
Dark Supreme Kai - pointed out some corrections for weapon specs.
You - For reading my FAQ.

=EOF=