#Europe

Latvia’s armed forces and border guards are set to receive new Heckler & Koch G36s. On the 11th January, the Latvian Ministry of Defence issued a press release announcing the new contract with the German small arms manufacturer. The 7 year contract, worth 13 million Euros or $16 million, is said to be for both rifles and other types of weapons – probably including H&K’s AG36 40mm grenade launcher, already in Latvian service.

On the 19th January, a contract award notice was published announcing that Italy’s Carabinieri have ordered 1,000 new Beretta PMX submachine guns.  Beretta unveiled their new submachine gun, the successor to the iconic Modello 12 submachine gun, back in November at the 2017 Paris Milipol expo.

French weekly news magazine L’Orbs has reported a series of negligent discharges by members of the Paris Police guarding the Palais de l’Elysée, the official residence of the French President.

B&T have announced that their Universal Service Weapon pistol carbine has been used during the Dutch Korps Mariniers (Royal Dutch Marines) annual shooting competition with friendly NATO forces.

Ukroboronprom, the state-owned Ukrainian defence concern, has confirmed the first deliveries of its M4-WAC-47 rifle to Ukrainian troops for evaluation. The rifle, based on the M4, is chambered in 7.62x39mm, earlier information had referred to the weapon as the M16-WAC-47.

Hot on the heels of news that Berlin’s 17,000 strong police force will r eplace its aging SIG P6s (P225) with Heckler & Koch’s SFP9, better known as the VP9 in the US, it has been announced that Baden-Württemberg will also be buying a new batch of sidearms from Heckler & Koch.

Slovenian firearms manufacturer AREX has been bought by the Czech Republic-based investment company RSBC.

Back in July, we reported that the Estonian Army was in the market for a new service rifle. A tender worth €75 million (approx. $86 million) was released calling for 20,000 new rifles, to be chambered in both 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm. The rifles are to replace the Galil (used by the the 1st Infantry Brigade) and the AK4 (a licensed G3 clones used by the the 2nd Infantry Brigade), despite a 2008 upgrade program carried out by B&T.

The Czech Republic are to purchase over 100 general purpose machine guns from FN Herstal. The Czech Army has agreed a deal to procure FN’s version of the Minimi light machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm.

Poland’s Prison Service, Służba Więzienna, are set to purchase 500 Mossberg shotguns. The contract was announced 21 November and will see the Służba Więzienna receive new Mosberg 500 shotguns.

Beretta have unveiled the new successor to their iconic  Modello 12 submachine gun. The new 9x19mm PMX was unveiled at the 2017 Paris Milipol expo.

Norway’s Police Service (Politi) are set to release a tender for just under 1,000 new pistols to equip their specialist armed response unit.

At the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting, gunmaker FB Radom was present at the Polish pavilion, displaying their MSBS modular assault rifle, recently named “Grot” (arrowhead) by the Polish government. The new rifle has been selected by the Polish government to replace their legacy AK fleet, many of which are the upgraded 5.56mm “Beryl” variant. The first order for the new rifles was signed in mid-September, and will result in the delivery of 53,000 rifles to the Polish government, which is expected to be completed by the end of November.

The roller-locked* Heckler & Koch G3 rifles and MP5 submachine guns have become iconic weapons of the Cold War era, being used in conflicts everywhere from civil wars in Africa, to hostage rescues and counter terror operations in Europe, to anti-cartel operations in South America. The operating system of these rifles is as unique as they are, and dates back to the death throes of the Nazi regime at the end of World War II. Desperate to save their failing state, the Nazis tasked engineers with developing new weapons, and the engineers were all to happy to oblige, lest they too be handed an old rifle and sent to the front!

A Czech man has been sentenced to five years in prison for bringing several illegal firearms into the UK.