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Germany to replace G36 service rifle
Sebastian Schulte, Bonn and Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
08 September 2015
The German Army will now look to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle by 2019. Source: Bundeswehr
Germany has decided to entirely replace the recently troubled Heckler & Koch (HK) G36 as the country's service rifle, Katrin Suder, German State Secretary for Defence Procurement, told the defence committee of the German parliament on 8 September.
Suder told the committee that the decision to fully replace the rifle was based on the fact that "the G36 was procured with a service life of 20 years in mind, which will be reached in 2016. Furthermore, the current forces' requirements by far exceed the potential of modifications that could be made to the G36".
IHS Jane's understands that, with the decision to replace the G36 taken, the German Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to introduce a new service rifle by 2019. To this end, the Defence Procurement Office (BAAINBw) has issued a note to industry and is already evaluating and screening the assault rifle market for a replacement.
The move comes after a technical evaluation by the government-funded Fraunhofer Research Institute reported in late March that the G36 failed to meet accuracy requirements both through "self-induced" heating (for example by firing the weapon rapidly), as well as increased climate-related temperatures in simulated environments.
Since 1996 HK has delivered 178,000 G36 rifles, which fire the NATO 5.56x45 mm round, in a range of variants for the Bundeswehr.
Following the findings of the report, Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was quoted in April as saying that, "The G36, [in its current state], has no future in the Bundeswehr." At the time the MoD said this could mean anything from a modification to the current G36, to the procurement of an existing system, or the development of an entirely new service rifle.
As an interim solution for deployed forces, in late August the MoD ordered 600 G27P assault rifles, the Bundeswehr variant of HK's HK417 (chambered in the larger NATO 7.62x51 mm calibre), as well as 600 MG4 light machine guns.
Suder concluded her briefing to parliament by noting the MoD would reserve all legal rights in the matter, repeating the implication the MoD could seek compensation from HK over the issues with the G36.
Germany to replace G36 service rifle - IHS Jane's 360
Sebastian Schulte, Bonn and Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
08 September 2015
The German Army will now look to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle by 2019. Source: Bundeswehr
Germany has decided to entirely replace the recently troubled Heckler & Koch (HK) G36 as the country's service rifle, Katrin Suder, German State Secretary for Defence Procurement, told the defence committee of the German parliament on 8 September.
Suder told the committee that the decision to fully replace the rifle was based on the fact that "the G36 was procured with a service life of 20 years in mind, which will be reached in 2016. Furthermore, the current forces' requirements by far exceed the potential of modifications that could be made to the G36".
IHS Jane's understands that, with the decision to replace the G36 taken, the German Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to introduce a new service rifle by 2019. To this end, the Defence Procurement Office (BAAINBw) has issued a note to industry and is already evaluating and screening the assault rifle market for a replacement.
The move comes after a technical evaluation by the government-funded Fraunhofer Research Institute reported in late March that the G36 failed to meet accuracy requirements both through "self-induced" heating (for example by firing the weapon rapidly), as well as increased climate-related temperatures in simulated environments.
Since 1996 HK has delivered 178,000 G36 rifles, which fire the NATO 5.56x45 mm round, in a range of variants for the Bundeswehr.
Following the findings of the report, Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was quoted in April as saying that, "The G36, [in its current state], has no future in the Bundeswehr." At the time the MoD said this could mean anything from a modification to the current G36, to the procurement of an existing system, or the development of an entirely new service rifle.
As an interim solution for deployed forces, in late August the MoD ordered 600 G27P assault rifles, the Bundeswehr variant of HK's HK417 (chambered in the larger NATO 7.62x51 mm calibre), as well as 600 MG4 light machine guns.
Suder concluded her briefing to parliament by noting the MoD would reserve all legal rights in the matter, repeating the implication the MoD could seek compensation from HK over the issues with the G36.
Germany to replace G36 service rifle - IHS Jane's 360