The French Army uses the HK416F rifle. Eric B recently posted about their bayonets for said rifles. Well according to Retex, a French magazine, the French Army is getting airsoft rifles for training purposes. It is called the HK416F-S.

The French army gives itself a replica of the HK 416 F rifle to perfect the training and refreshing of the shooters, but also the preparation for the mission in closed areas. The HK 416 F-S is a real military training tool, and its design meets a specification written by the army. So it was through a public tender that Heckler & Koch Germany granted

Tactical Equipements exclusive use of its licence to develop, manufacture and distribute HK 416 F-S …. The weapon comes with all the accessories allowing its operation and maintenance, 4 chargers and an ISTC strap with H & K hooks from the Blue Force Gear, Inc. brand. On the other hand, to meet the growing demand for targeted aid, Tactical Equipment has already delivered a large amount of Holosun’s HS510C red dot viewfinders. We will have the opportunity to develop the concept in a next article, we would like to thank the whole team of Tactical Equipements for the welcome they have reserved for us at their premises, as well as the availability of a HK 416 F model – S.

This picture shows that the HK416F-S is not only an airsoft gun but it is an electric airsoft rifle. The magazines and battery charger are clear indications of this.

I wonder what kind of training they will use these for? I assume force on force as that is where airsoft and UTM training shines. Does anyone know what the French Army was using for force on force training before this? Were they using some form of a system like MILES Gear?

Edit: We received an email from Umarex and they informed us that they hold the license for H&K airlift replicas around the world and the HK416F-S is one of their products made for Tactical Equipments.

In fact, the company Umarex, headquartered In Germany, holds the worldwide exclusive license from Heckler & Koch. In the course of the tender procedure, a cooperation was established between Umarex and Tactical Equipements. It should be emphasized here that the entire design and production of the HK 416 F-S took place at Umarex. 

It is also interesting to note that the rifle is a custom-made product, which is perfectly adapted to the needs of the French Army. As part of this program, Umarex offers an extensive range of airsoft and paintball guns for effective training for Police and LE authorities.