France In Search of New Sharpshooter Rifle

[Zarvan]

French Soldiers with an HK417 and a Hécate II

As part of France’s continuing small arms modernisation the French Army has announced the search for a new semi-automatic marksman’s rifle to replace the ageing FR-F2 bolt action sniper rifles. This is a requirement that has been rumoured for some time.

On the 18th August, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s government defence procurement agency, released a tender on for a 7.62×51mm chambered semi-automatic sharpshooter’s rifle with daylight optics. These will replace the MAS 36-derived FR-F2 which entered service with the French Army in 1986. The F2 itself was a modernised version of the FR F1 which had been in service since the mid 1960s.

Verney-Carron hope to submit their 7.62x51mm VCD-10, a semi-automatic precision rifle. It remains unclear if Verney-Carron will be blocked from submitting again due to their turnover being below 50 million Euros. Fabrique Nationale are also likely to submit the 7.62x51mm FN SCAR Mk 20 Mod 0 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR). Heckler & Koch, however, have a very strong chance of capturing the contract as the French Army has adopted the HK416 as their new standard service rifle and have been fielding the HK417 in small numbers for a number of years with various units including Special Forces including the Groupement des Commandos de Montagne.

The deadline for submissions for the FPSA is 5th October 2018.

Source

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/08/22/france-in-search-of-new-sharpshooter-rifle/

 

[Vergennes]

French Soldiers with an HK417 and a Hécate II

As part of France’s continuing small arms modernisation the French Army has announced the search for a new semi-automatic marksman’s rifle to replace the ageing FR-F2 bolt action sniper rifles. This is a requirement that has been rumoured for some time.

On the 18th August, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s government defence procurement agency, released a tender on for a 7.62×51mm chambered semi-automatic sharpshooter’s rifle with daylight optics. These will replace the MAS 36-derived FR-F2 which entered service with the French Army in 1986. The F2 itself was a modernised version of the FR F1 which had been in service since the mid 1960s.

Verney-Carron hope to submit their 7.62x51mm VCD-10, a semi-automatic precision rifle. It remains unclear if Verney-Carron will be blocked from submitting again due to their turnover being below 50 million Euros. Fabrique Nationale are also likely to submit the 7.62x51mm FN SCAR Mk 20 Mod 0 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR). Heckler & Koch, however, have a very strong chance of capturing the contract as the French Army has adopted the HK416 as their new standard service rifle and have been fielding the HK417 in small numbers for a number of years with various units including Special Forces including the Groupement des Commandos de Montagne.

The deadline for submissions for the FPSA is 5th October 2018.

Source

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/08/22/france-in-search-of-new-sharpshooter-rifle/

France issues tender for sharpshooter rifles


The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, issued a tender on 18 August for around 2,600 7.62×51 NATO chambered Fusil de Précision Semi-Automatique semi-automatic sharpshooter rifles with daylight scopes to replace FR-F2 weapons that have been in French Army service since 1986.

The tender also includes 6.3 million rounds, 2,800 night sights – 1,800 with image intensifiers and 1,000 thermal sights – maintenance and training equipment, spares, and technical documentation.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 5 October 2018.

Heckler & Koch HK417 rifles have replaced FR-F2s in certain frontline units of the French Army within the last year, Jane’s believes.

https://www.janes.com/article/82489/france-issues-tender-for-sharpshooter-rifles

I believe without any doubt the HK417 will be chosen to replace the FRF2. As stated above,in many units the FRF2 was already replaced with brand new 417s.