ILION -- A firearms manufacturer in Central New York has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract from the U.S. Army to upgrade thousands of sniper rifles.

Congressman Michael Arcuri of Utica and Senator Charles Schumer announced this week that the contract has been awarded to the Remington Arms plant in the village of Ilion, on the Mohawk River in Herkimer County.

The contract calls for the company to upgrade up to 3,600 M24 sniper rifles and has a potential value of up to $28 million.

About half of the plant's 1,000 workers will work on rifle project.

The company has mostly manufactured sporting guns and equipment but has made the M24 sniper rifle for more than 20 years.

In May, the company announced it expected to add about 100 new jobs by the end of the year as part of a $6 million expansion project.

Remington was founded in Ilion in 1816.