#GermanArmy

Last week we reported that the German government had allotted funds for the Bundeswehr’s procurement of its new rifle – the G95A1. Heckler & Koch have now released a statement and some photographs of the Bundeswehr’s new rifles. The new The ‘System Sturmgewehr Bundeswehr’ or Bundeswehr Assault Rifle System will be made up of two variants of the HK416 – the G95A1, with a 16.5 inch barrel and the G95KA1 carbine variant which will have a 14 inch barrel. The A1 designation suffix has likely been chosen to differentiate it from the HK416A7 variant, with a 14.5 inch barrel, which is already  in use with Germany’s Special Forces Command – the KSK.

On 14 December the German government’s Budget and Defense Committees convened and the initial funds for the procurement of the German Army’s next service rifle were granted. This clears the way for the initial procurement of the HK416A8 as the G95A1.

Despite the ongoing dispute between Heckler & Koch and Haenel which has ground the Bundeswehr’s G36 replacement program to a halt the next optic to be mounted on Germany’s future service rifle has been selected. The Bundeswehr began their search for a new optic back in April 2018. Leonardo has been selected to supply the Bundeswehr with over 100,000 ELCAN Specter DR 1-4x sights.

The German government has withdrawn their order for 120,000 Haenel MK556 rifles. Last month C.G. Haenel were awarded a major contract to replace the Bundeswehr’s G36 service rifle. The Haenel MK556 was selected over the Heckler & Koch HK416 and HK433. Heckler & Koch subsequently filed an appeal of the decision and today it seems the contract has been withdrawn following investigation.

Following on from the surprising news of yesterday, that  C.G. Haenel MK556 rifle had won the German Army tender to replace the Heckler & Koch G36, confirmation has now been officially announced.

It probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that the decision on which supplier that will deliver the next standard assault rifle for the German Army has reportedly been delayed once again.

Recently TFB reported that Hensoldt won the tender for Thermal Sights for the German Army, with their IRV 900 A2 model.

Today we have some cool photos of US and German troops training with each other. US troops from the South Carolina National Guard fire the Heckler and Koch P8 9mm pistol (adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1994) and the HK G36 (adopted in 1996). They’re taking part in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge qualification, March 16, 2019 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

The Bundeswehr’s programme to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 by 2020 has stalled. German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reports that none of the weapons submitted have fulfilled the Bundeswehr’s “individual mandatory requirements.” Die Welt have seen a copy of a confidential report from the German Defense Ministry’s procurement office, the BAAINBw, outlining the failure.

The Federal Agency for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Federal Armed Forces (BAAINBw) has released a tender worth 125 million Euros (approximately $153 million) for 103,090 combat sights.

On the 11 October the  Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) announced the selection of Heckler & Koch’s KH416A7 for Germany’s Special Forces.

Just over a month after the breaking news that H&K are releasing the HK433 in 5,56×45 mm we now have more information (and facts rather than rumors and some funny translations).

The Bundeswehr social media outlets recently released this training video of a Bavarian mountain battalion executing a vertical ascent and subsequent assault on an enemy position. The video is very interesting to watch when to comes to observing how the Germans perfect their mountain warfare tactics. Notice how the assault team uses a scout to lead the way up the cliff face, then pushing the rest of the team on top, thereafter assaulting the objective down below. Obviously the team climbed up one side, then descended on the enemy from above on the other side of the mountain.

On the heels of Heckler & Koch announcing their suit against the German government regarding statements about the company’s G36 assault rifle, comes news that the German court in Koblenz has issued a statement that the German gun manufacturer cannot be blamed for any problems the rifles may have, as the rifles were delivered conforming to government specifications. From Der Spiegel: