The Bundeswehr's assault rifle is to be replaced, a Thuringian manufacturer is to take over.
But there are initial discussions about company affiliation.
The
weapons manufacturer
Haenel
will probably manufacture the
new assault rifle for the
Bundeswehr
.
Heckler & Koch
, manufacturer of the Bundeswehr's assault rifle for decades, criticized the Ministry of Defense.
There are already initial discussions
about
Haenel
- the company belongs to a
state-owned Arab armaments company
.
Berlin - After a long selection process, the future armament of the German soldiers is practically certain.
The Thuringian
gunsmith CG Haenel
- a new traditional factory in Suhl and started the race as a minor outsider - is to
deliver
the new
assault rifle
.
After the
bidding process
started in 2017
, the heads of the Ministry of Defense informed politicians from the ranks of the grand coalition on Monday about the results of tests and test series that were carried out under the leadership of the Procurement Office (BAAINBw).
Heckler & Koch
is the manufacturer of the current G36 assault rifle.
And there had been quite a stir about this in the past few years, which revolved around accuracy under extreme conditions - high-intensity fire fighting with long firing sequences or with climatic peaks.
Defense Minister
Ursula von der Leyen
announced in 2015 that “the G36, as it is constructed today, has no future in the Bundeswehr”.
The manufacturer and the ministry had already suffered a few wounds.
New assault rifle for the Bundeswehr: Heckler & Koch criticized the Ministry of Defense
And the nerves were also open in the bidding process.
Last year
,
Heckler & Koch
criticized the ministry in what was perceived as an unusual step in the middle of the ongoing award process and, in a letter to the then
Defense Minister von der Leyen, called for
a decision on a larger caliber.
It was also criticized that there was no fair and competent selection for the G36 successor model.
The interaction of weight, barrel length, ammunition and target performance is technically complex with weapons.
The caliber of the ammunition determines the penetration power, but also limits how many shots can be carried by the man - because of the weight.
New assault rifle: Haenel manufacturer dependent on Arab money?
Only the caliber of the weapon is not specified in the tender, but a weight.
The
army
demanded in the tender also a gun that for
all climates
suitable.
In terms of firepower, it must be able to hold the enemy down temporarily, i.e. force them into cover.
In such a situation, precision can take a back seat to firepower.
The target has to be hit again soon after, with a high probability.
This is a prerequisite for not unintentionally meeting bystanders and civilians.
+
Haenel will probably manufacture the Bundeswehr's new assault rifle.
© Daniel Karmann / dpa
Now the bang: The Haenel weapon has - so it was said on Monday - proved to be technically better in the tests, and is at the same time more "economical" in the range.
Haenel is
already supplying the Bundeswehr with a
sniper rifle
.
The company belongs to the Merkel Group, which is part of the Tawazun Holding (United Arab Emirates).
Obviously, the
fact that today's company
could be dependent on
Arab money
didn't bother.
The sole shareholder of Haenel is
Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH
, which belongs to the state-owned
EDIC group
(Emirates Defense Industries Company) from Abu Dhabi.
At the end of 2019, it was absorbed by the state armaments company EDGE, which, as the world reports, includes the pistol and rifle manufacturer
Caracal
.
An insider, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the
world
: "It is possible that an unbeatable price was offered with government support from the Emirates."
New assault rifle for the Bundeswehr: Neck blow for Heckler & Koch
A third bidder -
Sig Sauer
- had withdrawn from the current tender.
Sig Sauer complained about unequal treatment and also made this due to the limited access to test ammunition, which Heckler & Koch had and could take advantage of because of other supply relationships.
Monday was now a bitter day for
Heckler & Koch
.
In 1959, the company delivered its first assault rifles to the Bundeswehr, the G3 at the time.
It had been founded ten years earlier by former engineers from Mauser-Werke.
In the 90s, H&K was awarded the contract for the successor rifle of the G3, the
G36
.
With machine guns, grenade launchers and modernized G36 rifles, the company will continue to do business with the German armed forces, but in the Oberndorfer's parade discipline, the assault rifle, H&K will no longer get a chance with the new model.
(dpa / fmü)
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