The Bundeswehr plan on eventually buying more than 12,000 H&K121 (or MG5 as they will be known) for a up to $318 million. Visier reports that the budget committee of the Bundestag (parliament) has just approved funding to purchase 65 proof samples of the H&K 121 for testing and evaluation. The cost was $3.6 million (approx. $55,000 each) and includes including spare parts and tooling (and probably also training and support).

If the H&K121 passes all acceptance tests successfully, H&K will be awarded a contact for 7,114 machine guns for a price of $157 million. This works out to be about $22,000 per machine gun. If all goes well they will then purchase the rest of them.

For anyone who keeps on eye on military procurement, this pricing it not all that surprising. But as a friend said to me “H&K: the mercedes of machine guns”.

Picture courtesy of Jan-P. Weisswange

Many thanks Axel for the tip.