British Army plans to start replacing its L85A3 assault rifles in 2025

[TR_123456]

The choice of the type and the caliber is considered likely to be influenced by the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program

Photo: British Army

The British Army is planning to replace its L85A3 5.56mm assault rifles starting in 2025. As for the type and caliber of the future rifles, British analyst Nicholas Drummond tweeted last week that the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program is likely to influence the Army's choice.


The Army Recognition website said that the NGSW program is an iterative, prototyping effort to develop operationally relevant, squad-level lethality to combat proliferating threats, informed by U.S. soldier feedback. The prototyping effort consists of a standard rifle (NGSW-R) and an automatic rifle (NGSW-AR) with a common 6.8mm cartridge and fire control. The NGSW-R is the planned replacement for the M4A1 assault rifle, while the NGSW-AR is the planned replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, gas-operated light machine gun, according to the website.


The L85 is a variant of the SA80, a British-made 5.56mm NATO caliber bullpup assault rifle that has been used by the British Armed Forces since 1987. The L85A3, a more recent model with several improvements, was first issued to the Armed Forces in 2018.

British Army plans to start replacing its L85A3 assault rifles in 2025

The British Army is planning to replace its L85A3 5.56mm assault rifles starting in 2025. As for the type and caliber of the future rifles, British analyst Nicholas Drummond tweeted last week that the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program is likely to influence the Army's...

www.israeldefense.co.il

 

[trishna_amrta]

The choice of the type and the caliber is considered likely to be influenced by the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program

View attachment 28057
Photo: British Army

The British Army is planning to replace its L85A3 5.56mm assault rifles starting in 2025. As for the type and caliber of the future rifles, British analyst Nicholas Drummond tweeted last week that the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program is likely to influence the Army's choice.


The Army Recognition website said that the NGSW program is an iterative, prototyping effort to develop operationally relevant, squad-level lethality to combat proliferating threats, informed by U.S. soldier feedback. The prototyping effort consists of a standard rifle (NGSW-R) and an automatic rifle (NGSW-AR) with a common 6.8mm cartridge and fire control. The NGSW-R is the planned replacement for the M4A1 assault rifle, while the NGSW-AR is the planned replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, gas-operated light machine gun, according to the website.


The L85 is a variant of the SA80, a British-made 5.56mm NATO caliber bullpup assault rifle that has been used by the British Armed Forces since 1987. The L85A3, a more recent model with several improvements, was first issued to the Armed Forces in 2018.

British Army plans to start replacing its L85A3 assault rifles in 2025

The British Army is planning to replace its L85A3 5.56mm assault rifles starting in 2025. As for the type and caliber of the future rifles, British analyst Nicholas Drummond tweeted last week that the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program is likely to influence the Army's...

www.israeldefense.co.il

Curious as what rifle platform the will choose. More importantly, whether they will be sticking to another bull pup or went with conventional design.

In most likely case, the SIG Sauer offering for the NGSW-R will be chosen (lesser risk & conventional design). If the still sticking with bull pup design, then they need to spend a lot of money for developing entirely new platform. However, if they choose conventional design, they can cut development cost simply by modifying any suitable existing platform for the NGSW-R cartridge

 

[RogerRanger]

I am not an Army person, I don't understand it. They have things which are most than good enough, in huge numbers. How much better can they make a rifle? Its not like there is new technology or bullets. Its just the same thing, so long as the gun is reliable. Same thing with the Light-weigh guns and the Challenger 2. Both of them are highly effective, why not just build more of them. Instead of replacing them. The issue the British army has is lack of numbers and lack of air-cover. We aren't doing anything about that with new rifles/tanks/artillery.

I mean look at the Russians. Same stuff, all the time.