After almost six decades with Heckler & Koch, the German Bundeswehr appears to have selected a new supplier for its assault rifle.
A MK556 configuration shown on Haenel’s site (Haenel Defense)
C.G. Haenel MK556 Wins German Army Tender To Replace G36 The C.G. Haenel company belongs to the Merkel Group, which is part of the Tawazun Holding (United Arab Emirates). The group also owns Caracal.
According to several sources the German Ministry of Defense has chosen C.G. Haenel GmbH to supply the next German Assault Weapon. The initial report came from the German Press Agency (DPA) and has been widely quoted. At the time of writing neither the Bundeswehr nor Haenel have made official statements.
Haenel is already supplying the Bundeswehr with the Haenel RS9 sniper rifle (designated the G29 in German service). Despite this they have long been seen as the underdog in the Bundeswehr’s search for a new service rifle.
The total deal is probably worth in the region of 245 million euros (over $290 million) and will see the procurement of some 120,000 new firearms.
The MK556 from C.G. Haenel won over the Heckler & Koch HK416 and the HK433, both of which are believed to have been under consideration. It also beat out the RS556, an entry from Rheinmetall and Steyr Mannlicher.
Heckler & Koch HK433 Ver 4 (souce - უახლესი გერმანული შაშხანა Heckler&Koch HK433 Ver 4 RAL 8000)
The “MK” stands for “Maschinenkarabiner” (Machine-Carbine) and was presented in 2017. As you can see in the pictures it follows the AR15 layout, but uses a short-stroke gas piston system with an adjustable gas system.
The exact configuration of the weapons and the accessories they will be equipped with is still unconfirmed.
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