British Army SA80 A3 fielding begins
Fielding of the first tranche of upgraded SA80 A3 rifles to the British Army has begun, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 11 April.
Heckler and Koch is upgrading the British Army’s SA80 A2 handheld assault weapon to the A3 model, to extend the rifle’s service life until at least 2025.
The upgrades include a more durable hardwearing coating in a colour offering better camouflage in a range of environments. The new A3 model will be 100g lighter than the A2 and will have a more streamlined fore grip making the weapon easier to handle.
The rifle will also have a bracket to secure new low light sights which can clip on or in front of the day sight without the need to remove it. These sights are smaller, lighter and require fewer batteries while operating just as effectively in low light/night conditions.
Major General Colin McClean, director land equipment at the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, said: ‘The SA80 is a battle proven weapon used by the UK armed forces on operations all over the world. The upgrade will build upon the rifle’s state-of-the-art features enhancing accuracy and consistency. The Mid Life Improvement project will ensure that our troops have the right equipment at the right time.’
The MLI project will see 5,000 weapons upgraded initially with the intent to upgrade more weapons in the future. The fielding of the first tranche started in February 2018.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression]()
Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
-
![Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV]()
Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV
Milrem has delivered or is building a total of 200 Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System UGVs and has chosen Texelis as partner in its effort to develop a UGV.
-
![Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system]()
Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system
The most recent nation to join NATO has joined other member nations in using the M3 system.
-
![CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent]()
CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent
Slovakia is undergoing a radical refresh of its equipment, like many central and eastern European countries, and the arrival of new vehicles will form a substantial part of this.
-
![Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace]()
Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace
In conversation... Patria’s Lauri Pauniaho talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how high mobility levels are essential for mortar systems in the face of modern counter-battery fire, and how a new platform-agnostic module can combine existing vehicles and mortar barrels into a cost-effective new weapon system.
