Sound suppressor (ArmA 3)

The Sound Suppressor is a muzzle-fitted weapon attachment in ArmA 3.

Overview

NATO marksmen wielding a suppressed Mk18 ABR (left) and MXM (right).

Suppressors are designed to be fitted onto the muzzle of firearms. Once attached, the suppressor will alter the sound signature of the weapon and make it harder for enemies within range to hear the discharge.

Suppressors will also minimise (not remove) the weapon's muzzle flash, which can help prevent the shooter's position from becoming exposed at nighttime and prevent said shooter from being blinded. In addition, suppressors will enhance the velocity of a weapon slightly which can provide a small boost to its effective firing range.

Thermal signature comparison: an MX rifle fitted with a conventional suppressor (top) versus a specialised suppressor on the Type 115 bullpup (bottom)

The majority of suppressors do not mask heat emitted by the weapon's barrel. However, specific suppressor designs are designed with this capability in mind and will dampen heat emissions. This helps to reduce its thermal signature and makes the user less visible on infrared optics, cameras, and sensors.

It should be noted that sound suppressors are only interchangeable between firearms that are chambered for the same calibre. They will also inflict a higher inertia penalty on the user and do not reduce weapon recoil.

In addition, not all weapons can actually be fitted with sound suppressors. Certain weapons lack threaded barrels and are incapable of mounting them (i.e. the AKM assault rifle or AKS-74U carbine).

Lastly, ammunition fired through suppressors remain at supersonic speeds and will emit an audible crack. Unlike in ArmA 2, dedicated magazines loaded with subsonic ammunition is not available outside of specific weapons with integral suppressors.

Variants

NOTE: Except for where they are explicitly stated to be different, all sound suppressors increase muzzle velocity by 5%, decrease muzzle flash by 90%, audible distance range by 96%, and reduce weapon dispersion by 20% (helping to improve accuracy, not decreasing).

---

5.56 mm

Sound Suppressor (5.56 mm)
Faction	NATO CTRG FIA Loyalists Gendarmerie AAF
Games

The 5.56 mm suppressor is designed to be used on weapons chambered to fire the 5.56×45 mm NATO round:

• LIM-85 light machine gun
• Mk20/Mk20C bullpup rifle/carbine
• The SPAR-16 series of modular rifles
• TRG-21/TRG-20 bullpup rifle/carbine

5.56 mm suppressors have a weight of 8 "mass" units. They are available in either a Black, Khaki or Sand colour finish.

---

5.7 mm

Sound Suppressor (5.7 mm)
Faction	LDF
Games

The 5.7 mm suppressor is designed exclusively for use on all variants of the ADR-97 bullpup submachine gun. It is only available in a Black finish.

There are few performance differences compared to regular 5.56 mm suppressors, save that the 5.7 mm variant only reduces muzzle flash by half (50%) and provides a 70% sound reduction as opposed to 96% (which is the baseline standard).

Appearance-wise, it is identical to that of the 9 mm suppressor but inflicts twice the amount of inertia penalty. 5.7 mm suppressors have a weight of 10 "mass" units.

---

5.8 mm

This is a premium asset that requires ownership of the Apex expansion pack.

Sound Suppressor (5.8 mm)
Faction	CSAT
Games

The 5.8 mm suppressor is designed solely for use on weapons chambered to fire the cased 5.8×42 mm round:

• CAR-95 bullpup rifle
• CAR-95-1 bullpup light support weapon

It is available in either a Black, Green Hex or Arid Hex camouflage finish, and has a weight of 8 "mass" units.

Performance-wise, there are no other differences when compared to the 5.56 mm suppressor.

Thermal dampening

The 5.8 mm suppressor is unique for being able to dampen heat from the weapon's barrel and will not light up on infrared sensors during and after continuous fire.

However, it should be noted that some heat will eventually seep through and become visible on thermal optics if the weapon has not been given enough time to cool down after prolonged fire.

If too many rounds are fired in succession without providing the barrel an opportunity to cool down, the suppressor will no longer be able to mask or dampen its heat signature.

---

6.5 mm

Sound Suppressor (6.5 mm)
Faction	NATO CTRG CSAT LDF
Games

The 6.5 mm suppressor is designed for use on all firearms chambered for the 6.5×39 mm round (both NATO and non-NATO, regardless of whether it is cased or caseless):

• CMR-76 bullpup marksman rifle
• Katiba/Katiba Carbine bullpup rifle/carbine
• Mk200 light machine gun
• The MX series of modular rifles
• The Promet series of modular bullpup rifles
• Type 115 special purpose rifle

A separate variant LMG variant is also available for use and shares the same appearance of the regular 5.56 mm suppressor. There are no functional differences compared to the regular 6.5 mm suppressor, however.

6.5 mm suppressors are available in a Black, Khaki or Sand colour finish. They all have the same weight of 10 "mass" units.

---

Stealth

This is a premium asset that requires ownership of the Apex expansion pack.

Stealth Sound Suppressor
Faction	Viper
Games

The Stealth Sound Suppressor is a unique suppressor variant that is designed specifically for mounting on the CMR-76 and Type 115 marksman/special purpose rifles.

However, it should be noted that several other 6.5 mm-chambered firearms - both of CSAT and non-CSAT in origin, may also mount a Stealth Sound Suppressor:

• CMR-76 bullpup marksman rifle
• Katiba/Katiba Carbine bullpup rifle/carbine
• Mk200 light machine gun
• The MX series of modular rifles
• The Promet series of modular bullpup rifles
• Type 115 special purpose rifle

It is available in either a Black, Green Hex or Arid Hex camouflage finish, and has a weight of 8 "mass" units.

Note that the Stealth Sound Suppressor is not capable of suppressing the Type 115's underbarrel anti-materiel rifle module.

Thermal dampening

Like 5.8 mm suppressors, the Stealth Sound Suppressor absorbs heat and will not emit a thermal signature on infrared optics.

This will remain the case even after sustained bursts, though it should be noted that extended periods of fire without allowing the weapon's barrel to cool down will eventually cause some heat to seep through.

If too many rounds are fired without pause, the suppressor will no longer be able to dampen the barrel's heat emissions and will itself begin to light up as well.

---

7.62 mm

Sound Suppressor (7.62 mm)
Faction	NATO CTRG CSAT Russian Spetsnaz AAF L'Ensemble
Games

The 7.62 mm suppressor is freely interchangeable on all 7.62 mm-chambered weapons regardless of whether it fires 7.62×39 mm, 7.62×51 mm NATO or 7.62×54 mm:

• The AK-12 series of modular rifles
• Mk14 battle rifle
• Mk18 ABR battle rifle
• Mk-I EMR marksman rifle
• Rahim bullpup marksman rifle
• SPAR-17 marksman rifle

It is available in either a Black, Khaki, Sand, Arid or Lush finish. No matter the variant, 7.62 mm suppressors have a weight of 12 "mass" units.

---

.338

Sound Suppressor (.338)
Faction	NATO CTRG
Games

The .338 suppressor is intended for use on weapons chambered to fire the .338 round (8.6×70 mm), both Lapua Magnum and Norma Magnum:

• MAR-10 marksman rifle
• SPMG general-purpose machine gun

They are available in a Black, Green or Sand colour scheme, and have a weight of 10 "mass" units.

It should be noted that .338 suppressors specifically increase the muzzle velocity of the weapon by 10% rather than 5%. There are otherwise no other performance differences when compared to to conventional suppressor designs.

---

9 mm

Sound Suppressor (9 mm)
Faction	NATO CTRG CSAT Viper Russian Spetsnaz Gendarmerie L'Ensemble
Games

Compact and light to attach, the 9 mm suppressor is compatible with most weapons that are chambered to fire the 9×21 mm round:

• P07 handgun
• PDW2000 submachine gun
• Protector submachine gun
• Rook-40 handgun
• Sting submachine gun

It is only available in a Black finish and only weighs a total of 6 "mass" units.

---

9.3 mm

Sound Suppressor (9.3 mm)
Faction	CSAT
Games

The 9.3 mm suppressor is designed exclusively for weapons chambered for the 9.3×64 mm round:

• Cyrus marksman rifle
• Navid general-purpose machine gun

It is available in either a Black or Tan finish. The 9.3 mm suppressor has a weight of 12 "mass" units.

When fitted, the 9.3 mm suppressor will increase the muzzle velocity of the parent weapon by 10% rather than 5%. There are otherwise no performance differences when compared to other suppressors.

---

.45 ACP

Sound Suppressor (.45 ACP)
Faction	NATO FIA Loyalists AAF LDF L'Ensemble
Games

The .45 suppressor is intended for use on weapons chambered for the .45 ACP round:

• 4-five handgun
• ACP-C2 handgun
• Vermin submachine gun

Both appearance and performance-wise, the .45 suppressor bears no differences to regular 9 mm suppressors. It is only available in a Black finish and has a weight of only 6 "mass" units.

Gallery

Notes

• Certain suppressor variants are compatible with weapons featured in third party-developed Creator DLCs. Please note that they are deliberately excluded from this article as they are not considered to be official content.

Trivia

On release, ArmA 3's sound suppressors applied extremely unrealistic attributes onto the weapons that they were mounted on: They were able to somehow decrease the damage of bullets fired by the weapon (despite the lack of subsonic ammunition in ArmA 3). They nonsensically reduced the weapon's muzzle velocity rather than increase it. They did not decrease the weapon's dispersion or lower its recoil. Additionally, they also caused all weapons to share the same firing sounds as each other (i.e. a suppressed TRG-20 with the 5.56 mm variant would sound the same as a suppressed Mk20C). Furthermore, many suppressors shared the exact same models and lacked camouflage variety. The former issues were subsequently fixed in later overhaul updates both prior to and after the Marksmen DLC's release. Unique models and camouflage finishes on the other hand, were not changed until the release of the Apex expansion. Following the release of the Contact expansion pack, the Stealth Sound Suppressor was made available to both the MX and Promet families of rifles as well. Oddly enough, no other 6.5 mm-chambered weapons like the Mk200 could be fitted with the suppressor (not even CSAT's own Katiba bullpup was able to utilise them). Prior to Game Update 2.02, several of the suppressors like the Apex expansion's Stealth Sound Suppressor were rendered incompatible or were strangely excluded from weapons which were able to support mounting them by default. The patch corrected this inconsistency and resolved underlying issues leftover from Game Update 2.00, such as allowing Katiba bullpup or Mk200 LMG to mount the Stealth Sound Suppressor. The information below details unused, pre-release or removed content. Unused sound suppressor model, specifically for the 4-five pistol. An alternate .45 ACP pistol suppressor model remains unused within the game files. Modelled after the real-world "Osprey" designed by Utah-based manufacturer SilencerCo, it would have supposedly been used for the 4-five pistol (Model name: acca_snds_osprey_f.p3d). Likewise, the Vermin SMG also has an unused model which was presumably intended for its exclusive use, though its unused model (Model name: acca_mzls_smg_01_f.p3d) is strangely prefixed as a flash suppressor rather than for sound. Unused Flash Suppressor icons for 6.5 mm (left) and 9 mm (right) weapons. As seen in many of the pre-Alpha screenshots and ArmA 3's Night Ops showcase demo at E3 2012, flash suppressors for both rifles and sidearms were intended to have been included in the final game. Based on their appearance, they were modelled after the "KX" series of flash hiders designed by Noveske Rifleworks LLC. Models and inventory icons (Model name: acca_mzls_h_f.p3d) for both flash hiders still exist in the game files, though it is not known as to why they were excluded from the final game.

See also

• Suppressor (ArmA 2)

Weapon attachments of ArmA 3
Collimators	ACO • MRD • Yorris J2
Holographic sights	Mk17 Holosight
Riflescopes	ARCO • ERCO • MRCO • PMS • RCO
Sniper scopes	AMS • DMS • Kahlia • LRPS • MOS
Thermal/Night vision	TWS (MG) • Nightstalker • NVS
Aiming devices	IR laser pointer
Illumination	Flashlight
Muzzle	SIMCOM Adapter • Sound Suppressor (5.56 mm, 5.7 mm, 5.8 mm, 6.5 mm, Stealth, 7.62 mm, .338, 9 mm, 9.3 mm, .45 ACP)
Weapon mounts	Bipod
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Marksmen DLC | Apex DLC | Contact DLC