See you later… it’s an alligator! The mega sniper rifle used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Putin’s soldiers (which is bigger than some of the gunners pulling the trigger!)
- The Ukrainian-made Snipex Alligator is a fearsome 6ft 5in, 55lb sniper rifle
- Its projectiles can penetrate armor as thick as half an inch from a mile away
- Kiev’s troops are using the weapon to defend Ukraine against Russia
- It’s one of many weapons that give Ukrainian troops an edge over Putin’s
The Ukrainian Armed Forces use a devastating mega sniper rifle in their fight against Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.
At over six feet long, the Ukrainian-made Snipex Alligator is even taller than some of the shooters pulling the trigger of the 55-pound rifle.
The huge gun fires projectiles capable of penetrating roughly half an inch thick armor from a range of a mile, making it a highly effective weapon against Russian tanks and soldiers alike.
Image: A Ukrainian soldier aims the sights of a Snipex alligator sniper rifle – the mega sniper rifle used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their fight against Putin’s invading forces
The Snipex Alligator
Caliber: 14.5x114mm
Weight: 55 pounds
Length: 6.5 feet
rounds: 5
Projectile Velocity: 980 m/s
Effective firing range: 2,000 yards
Maximum projectile flight: 7,000 yards
Manufacturer: XADO Holding Ltd
The Snipex Alligator is a bolt-action rifle manufactured by XADO-Holding Ltd – a multinational company with headquarters in Germany, the Netherlands and Ukraine.
Firing huge 14.5x114mm shells through the air at a speed of about 980 meters per second, it can pierce the side of a Russian BTR-80 armored vehicle with a single bullet from a mile away.
The Alligator was designed to be used against both moving and stationary targets, including vehicles, communications and air defense systems.
It’s also effective at taking out parked planes, fixed defenses, and shelters.
The removable box magazine holds five rounds of ammunition – typically fired from a heavy machine gun.
To allow the Alligator to be used by ground forces, the rifle’s recoil is suppressed by a four to five chamber muzzle brake, while a heavily padded rifle stock was installed to protect the gunner.
At over six feet long, the Ukrainian-made Snipex Alligator is even taller than some of the shooters pulling the trigger of the 55-pound rifle. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier poses with two of the sniper rifles
And while the massive sniper rifle may sound unwieldy, it packs a punch against enemy armor that few weapons can match, while being mobile enough to carry.
All of this means that Ukraine’s soldiers have a devastating weapon against Moscow’s slow-moving personnel carriers, thousands of which have been variously destroyed since Putin launched his invasion in February.
The Alligator was first introduced to the world on Snipex’s Facebook page in June 2020, and in July the first demonstration video was posted to YouTube, showing the massive rifles hitting targets at long range.
Later that same year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine unofficially adopted the weapon and officially added it to their arsenal in March 2021.
Ukraine’s use of mobile weapon systems – like the Alligator or the semi-handheld Javelin missile system – has meant its troops have been able to remain agile in the face of slower Russian vehicles and tactics. Pictured: A destroyed Russian tank in the Kharkiv region
The war in Ukraine was their first action on the battlefield. It’s unclear how many alligators are being used by Kiev’s troops against the Russian invaders, but images of soldiers posing next to the massive guns have surfaced online.
Ukraine’s use of mobile weapon systems – like the Alligator or the Javelin man-portable missile system – has meant its troops have been able to remain agile in the face of slower Russian vehicles and tactics.
On several occasions, Kiev’s troops have successfully ambushed the Russian invaders, destroying tanks and other armored vehicles and retreating to cover before Moscow’s soldiers could even react.
This is believed to be one of the many reasons Ukraine has so far withstood the Russian attack and launched a counter-offensive in recent months that pushed Russian soldiers back to its own border.