Rumor that the new AR15 rifle may also end up adopted by the UK's Royal Marines.

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Gabriele Molinelli on Twitter

Navy command is looking for ballistic testing re Article 36, 1977 Additional Protocol I of 1949 Geneva Conventions... https://t.co/mZDQS55SCJ

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Perhaps I'm misreading it, but the "calibre being not superior to 13 mm " requirement sounds more like the Navy plans to test ammo for large-caliber (.50 BMG?) sniper rifles.

AR-15 type... they want a Serbu .50?

I think Molinelli is conflating two different programs:  The Project HUNTER AR15-type (5.56mm) rifle and British Navy testing of 12.7mm sniper ammo.

Thanks!

The UK's Ranger Regiment Rifle is a choice between the Daniel Defense DDM4 and the KAC SR-16. The preference was for the SR-16, but KAC has a bottleneck with supply.

It remains to be seen whether the UK Treasury will actually allow the Rangers to purchase a new rifle so close to the replacement of SA80. Those in charge of the procurement for L85 are different from those responsible for the Ranger weapon and are likely to specify a gas piston operated gun not a direct gas impingement one. 

Great info.

You mention “so close to the SA80 replacement,” is that official that the SA80 is to be replaced? And is there a projected timeline / specs for the replacement yet?

The SA80 replacement program, Project Grayburn, kicks-off next year, supposedly after Project Hunter has concluded. The Our of Service Date (OSD) for SA80 is 2035. Only 44,000 L85A2s were updated to the A3 standard, so the remaining fleet is well worn. Based on an Army HQ briefing at last Summer’s Shrivenham Small Arms Symposium, the British Army intends to retain a mix of 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm weapons. It has no plans to adopt the NGSW ammunition standard. I am expecting a downselect to be made 2026 / 2027 with production starting in 2028. There’s no word on the requirement yet. It will be interesting to see if they spfecify a gas piston operated gun or direct gas impingement. My money is on a gas piston operated weapon based on US Army testing of suppressed DGI weapons versus GPO. 

So Colt Canada, DD, and LMT slugging it out for the L85 replacement contract in a few years?