The Coming of Age of the Ultimax 100 Mk 4 Section Automatic Weapon (SAW)

The Ultimax 100, designed by Jim Sullivan and Bob Waterfield for Singapore Technologies Kinetics, has frequently been cited as one of the best SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon for Americans) or Light Machine Gun (LMG) for some time. Since its inception, the weapon has seen action in Croatia with the Croatian forces in 1991 and possibly with a few others. Photos of the deployment can be found in a Concord Publications book on the war in Croatia.

The US Marine Corps (USMC) has evaluated four weapons, the M16A2, HK G36, M249 and Ultimax 100 in eight tests and in a report in the Marine Corps Gazette titled 'Automatic Weapon Concept Part 1: History and Empirical Testing', it is noted that:

'On average, during Tests 1 through 4 the 48 shooters preferred the weapons in the following order: Ultimax 100, HK, Colt, and M249 SAW. The questions on the questionnaire focused on nine areas: (1) overall performance, (2) using system sights, (3) detecting and identifying targets, (4) adjusting windage, (5) adjusting elevation, (6) adjusting weapons zero, (7) maintaining zero, (8) malfunctions, and (9) stoppages. Even though the Colt fired the most accurately in most stages, it was next to last in shooter preference.' "

For a variety of reasons, Defense Review has endorsed the weapon in two glowing articles where the Ultimax 100 Mark 4 is described in the following terms:

"DefenseReview has been writing about the Ultimax 100 LMG/SAW virtually since our inception. And, in the last year or so, we've discussed the Ultimax quite a bit. In our article on Noveske Rifleworks Weapons packages, we discussed not only what's important about he Ultimax, but also how and why it's superior to the U.S. Army's current light machine gun/squad automatic weapon (LMG/SAW), the problematic/subpar FN M249 SAW."

There is also an impressive image of a person firing the weapon with one arm in that article. Yes, it's full automatic.

In another Defense Review article, the Ultimax 100 is described as:

"On full-auto (side-by-side shooting), the Ultimax will outhit the much heavier FN M249 SAW at greater range and is more reliable and durable/rugged under combat conditions (adverse conditions). In fact, the Ultimax is the gun that proved that a lightweight machine gun could outhit a significantly heavier machine gun (of the same caliber) on full-auto. The Ultimax is also MUCH faster to reload than the M249 (or any belt-fed machine gun, for that matter), since the Ultimax is drum magazine-fed (mag capacity: 100 shots)--so it's as fast to reload as an assault rifle. "

I have handled the Ultimax 100 when I was doing my national service in 1990-1992. As the weapon only fires in the full-automatic mode, one must learn to control one's fire with short bursts. It is fairly handy and controllable. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to touch a M249 or FN Minimi yet.