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
-
![Norway orders improved NASAMS technology as more countries sign up]()
Norway orders improved NASAMS technology as more countries sign up
The country’s air defence batteries will be equipped with new command posts, wheeled communication nodes and radios. The system itself is in service with more than 14 countries with 13 systems in Ukraine.
-
![Ukraine’s ground robot army still finding its feet]()
Ukraine’s ground robot army still finding its feet
Ukraine’s quest to replace soldiers with robots is hitting technical snags. Shephard spoke with industry leaders about difficulties in the field and what solutions are in the pipeline.
-
![DOK-ING presents CUAS MV-8 armed with Valhalla Mangart 25 turret]()
DOK-ING presents CUAS MV-8 armed with Valhalla Mangart 25 turret
The partnership between Croatia’s DOK-ING and Slovenia’s Valhalla Turrets reflects an effort to combine ground robots and with improved capabilities and new roles and follows Rheinmetall presenting its Ox with Dispatch charging docks from Valinor.
-
![British Army vehicle programme may be shifting gears again]()
British Army vehicle programme may be shifting gears again
The UK’s effort to replace thousands of vehicles across a dozen base vehicle types has had a troubled history and statements from the UK’s Defence Minster Luke Pollard indicate change may be on the way.
-
![EOS improving Slinger CUAS role as industry pushes forward]()
EOS improving Slinger CUAS role as industry pushes forward
EOS Defence Systems officially launched its Slinger anti-drone system in 2023. The system features a remote weapon station, visual sensors and a Northrop Grumman 30mm cannon with specially designed ammunition, combined with EOS’s stabilisation and pointing technology.
