France selects the HK416 as its new assault rifle

[Gabriel92]

After an extensive evaluation lasting more than one year, the French Direction Générale de l’Armement has selected the HK416 as the successor of the famous "FAMAS" assault rifle.

Heckler & Koch GmbH is honored and proud to announce that it has been officially awarded last week by the French Direction Générale de l’Armement the contract for the supply of the future French assault rifle. Known initially as the "Arme Individuelle Future" (AIF), the selected weapon is a variant of the battle-proven HK416A5 assault rifle.

The HK416 will replace the well-known "FAMAS" assault rifle which is no longer produced, bringing modularity and flexibility to the needs of the French military.

The contract calls for the supply over a period of 15 years of up to 102,000 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rifles, 10,767 40 x 46 mm grenade launchers, ammunition, spare parts, support services and accessories. The weapon will be available in two versions with different barrel lengths depending on the user mission and will equip all Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.

After a technical evaluation which pushed all competitors to their technical limits, the HK416 was a top performer and the cornerstone of a high performance and fully integrated weapon system.

The HK416 is a robust, reliable and accurate weapon produced in Oberndorf am Neckar, in Germany’s Black Forest region, using the finest materials including the best French steels which provide its legendary robustness. It is a user-friendly weapon that has proven its capabilities on military operations in numerous occasions.

Heckler & Koch GmbH, in cooperation with its French subsidiary Heckler & Koch France SAS, is fully committed to providing the best service and support to the French armed forces for the next thirty years.

http://www.heckler-koch.com/en/pres...lects-the-hk416-as-its-new-assault-rifle.html

 

[Raj Malhotra]

Our own MCIWS is reverse engineered HK-416 with some improvements. But will the Army purchase it?

 

[tharun]

The contract calls for the supply over a period of 15 years of up to 102,000 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rifles, 10,767 40 x 46 mm grenade launchers

Only 10k grenade launchers for 100k guns?
So 1 out of 10 guns will get a grenade launcher?

 

[tharun]

The contract calls for the supply over a period of 15 years of up to 102,000 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rifles, 10,767 40 x 46 mm grenade launchers

Only 10k grenade launchers for 100k guns?
So 1 out of 10 guns will get a grenade launcher?

 

[Gabriel92]

Our own MCIWS is reverse engineered HK-416 with some improvements. But will the Army purchase it?

Lmao,is this a joke ?

Only 10k grenade launchers for 100k guns?
So 1 out of 10 guns will get a grenade launcher?

When India issued a tender for ~66.000 assault rifles,it included 4.680 grenade launchers...

 

[ezsasa]

@Gabriel92

will french legions also be getting HK416 ?

 

[Scarface]

People are ok with this ?
I've heard the people who run things in French defence sector don't like using foreign weapons

Purchasing a standard issue rifle from another country must have made people angry.

 

[Abhinav Dharma]

Our own MCIWS is reverse engineered HK-416 with some improvements. But will the Army purchase it?

no its not reverse engineered hk 416 see the design then say

 

[Gabriel92]

@Gabriel92

will french legions also be getting HK416 ?

All french army units are going to be equipped with the 416.

People are ok with this ?
I've heard the people who run things in French defence sector don't like using foreign weapons

Purchasing a standard issue rifle from another country must have made people angry.

You should have seen all the fuss over here about buying a foreign assault rifle.... even worse when it was the german one that was selected.
After we closed the manufacture of saint-etienne and scrapped the famas production,we were left with no capabilities of producing assault rifles,the reason we are buying a foreign one.
Designing,developing one would not be economically viable,because our needs would be quickly met,unlike when we had a big army and conscription like decades ago. I don't think that the french taxpayer would be happy to buy expensive rifles (like the Famas at the time...) and with questionnable performances. We are good at making missiles,radars,aircrafts,submarines,aircrafts carriers,helicopters,armored vehicles etc. but let's let the others where they are the best at....
We might chose a german rifle,but it is by far the best assault rifle in the world and the germans are our allies and this would reinforce our ties in the common defense.

 

[Raj Malhotra]

Ok, INSAS is inspired by Hk-416

 

[armyofhind]

Ok, INSAS is inspired by Hk-416

Why are you posting whatever comes to your mind?
INSAS and HK-416 have been developed in different time frames.
When INSAS came, there was no HK-416 in existence.

 

[Raj Malhotra]

Sorry typo. Brain freeze. HK-416 is mix of design ideas of AK, SIG and M-16. INSAS was similar to design Idea of Galil itself inspired from AK. While MCIWS was inspired from HK-416.

 

[Raj Malhotra]

Ok, INSAS is inspired by Hk-416

I mistyped INSAS, I meant to say MCIWS is inspired from layout of HK-416 which borrowed its design philosophy from AK, M-16 and SIG.