Germany's new MG5 delayed by teething problems

[Zarvan]

The German Army's new MG5 machine gun has been delayed by teething problems, with the first full-production batch not expected to be delivered until 2016 now. Source: Heckler & Koch
Germany's first production batch of 1,215 new MG5 machine guns has been delayed by technical issues, the German Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed.

Ordered in June 2013, the MG5 (HK121) manufactured by Heckler & Koch (HK) is to replace the obsolete MG3 in service with the Bundeswehr.

First deliveries were scheduled from the end of July, but this has been pushed back to 2016 because of "irregularities that may require retesting", the MoD stated.

Under the 2013 framework agreement, Germany is to buy a minimum of 7,114 MG5s and up to as many as 12,733 at a cost of EUR118-240 million (USD113-270 million). Under that same agreement, 65 MG5s were ordered for trials under a low-rate initial production contract worth EUR2.76 million in July 2014, with the first production batch of 1,215 MG5s ordered on 17 March for EUR20.44 million.

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Germany's new MG5 delayed by teething problems - IHS Jane's 360

 

[kaonalpha]

This is something I would and all infantry formation would love to have. After its teething problem has been solved offcourse.

 

[Penguin]

Exactly how is the MG3 (aka MG42. one of the finest GPMGs of all time) obsolete?

MG5:
four inches shorter
more accurate
has NATO-standard rails for attaching (multiple) advanced scopes, lasers and other gadgets
200 to 500 fewer bullets per minute