Heckler & Koch wins tender to replace French army's FAMAS

[Louiq XIV]

No news about it yet. Maybe @Taygibay knows anything ?
The only thing we know for now is that there will be two versions delivered with two different barrel lenght ;

-HK416F-C with an 11" barrel.
-HK416F-S with a 14.5" barrel.

But you might already know it.
-
Visually,the 416F seems to lack some features of the 416A5 such as ;

-The lower rail,that doesn't extend all the way to the rear.
-The flip-up sight,isn't integrated to the rail system,meaning it can be removed.
-It seems that it is lacking the adjustable gas regulator. (But regular forces do not need to run a suppressor.)
-Seems like soldiers will receive the E1 stock instead of the slime line one. (Heard it is better.)

Okay thanks for the information. We'll get other details pretty soon I guess. Definitely a good choice.

 

[Vergennes]

More precise details. (click on the pictures for higher res.) @Taygibay @Louiq XIV
//
Udo Lücken from PMA-ODAL did some research for SOFREP on the data of the new French standard weapon:

The variation HK416F is based on the HK416A5 and can be used by left and right handed shooters. The clasp and the linkage of the HK416F is a gas pressure loader system which is similar to the AR-15 by Colt. The weapon will be delivered to the French army in the variations HK416F-S (standard, 14.5” –pipe/368 mm) and HK416F-C (commando, 11”-pipe/279 mm) in the ground color black (for missions in arid terrain with the color concept RAL8000).

The weapon features a cold-hammered barrel with six grooves and a right hand spin. With a magazine capacity of 30 cartridges (or optional 20 round magazine) the HK416F corresponds to the NATO standards. The shot modes are safe, single fire, and auto, and they can be adjusted on both sides. The theoretical shot cadence is about 850 per min.

The total length of the HK416F can be changed by adjusting the shoulder stock support from 741 mm to 842mm (C-commando) or from 831mm to 931mm (S-standard version) for every soldier as he needs it. The weapon has a width of 77 mm (without attachments) and a height of 253 mm (without sight help). Therefore, it is comparatively slim and easy to grip. The S-version has an empty weight of 3.755 g; the C-version is slightly lighter with a weight of 3.450 g. Even though the HK has an open flip up sight, it also has sufficient capacity for further options caused by the numerous Picatinny rails. The sight distance is 340m and gives the possibility for precise fire.

https://sofrep.com/65812/hk416-new-rifle-french-armed-forces/

 

[Taygibay]

Excellent job finding that, Vergennes mon gars!

Cheers / à la tienne, Tay.

 

[Louiq XIV]

Ok thanks for the information Vergennes.

Merci à toi et bonne soirée ;-)

 

[Louiq XIV]

I have found further information on the AIF tender.

According ifrap.org "Famas : les enjeux de l’Arme Individuelle Future"
http://www.ifrap.org/etat-et-collec...famas-les-enjeux-de-larme-individuelle-future

Google translated :

"Apparently Heckler & Koch model has largely met the requirements of the DGA and armed forces as users or even exceeded them. The first being in particular that the IAF should be "félinisable" and thus be integrated without major changes in the FELIN system.

On September 22, the contract worth a total of € 168 million [2] was finally notified Heckler & Koch. Over a period of fifteen years, the company from Oberndorf will deliver 51,000 HK416F-S (for "Standard", a canon of 14.5 inches / 36.8 cm), 51,000 HK416F-C ( "Court" or a gun 11.5 inches / 26.4 cm) 10 767 grenade launchers HK269F 40 mm and the right accessories. The contract also includes the supply of nearly 38 million of training 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge, 51,000 anti-personnel and anti-vehicle grenades, at least 28,000 training grenades and 13,000 smoke grenades. All these grenades are class 40 × 46 mm. Finally, are included in the contract all support services (spare parts, technical documentation, qualification, initial support and user training) for training and maintenance of guns. [3] The economic benefits for France are for now very uncertain."

 

[Taygibay]

Very interesting compendium. Louiq, thanks.
I'll try for a transl. if/when time allows, Tay.

 

[Vergennes]

The 13th DBLE of the FFL have received them and have already begun training with 'em.

@Louiq XIV @Taygibay @Path-Finder @SMS Derfflinger

 

[HannibalBarca]

The 13th DBLE of the FFL have received them and have already begun training with 'em.

@Louiq XIV @Taygibay @Path-Finder @SMS Derfflinger

View attachment 391457

Nice pic.

 

[Path-Finder]

The 13th DBLE of the FFL have received them and have already begun training with 'em.

@Louiq XIV @Taygibay @Path-Finder @SMS Derfflinger

View attachment 391457

Damn! so Legion will be among the first to get 416? I think time is right to enlist in Legion Etrangere as FAMAS is history.

 

[Louiq XIV]

The 13th DBLE of the FFL have received them and have already begun training with 'em.
View attachment 391457

Hmm ... without sight but with a bayonet this pix must be for the show.

 

[Vergennes]

Damn! so Legion will be among the first to get 416? I think time is right to enlist in Legion Etrangere as FAMAS is history.

The Légion will also be among the first to receive the new army's armored transport vehicles,Griffon. ;-)

They must be happy in the Légion about getting all the newest toys first.

Hmm ... without sight but with a bayonet this pix must be for the show.

Might be. But the rifles are being delivered to the units,that's the most important.

 

[Taygibay]

Hmm ... without sight but with a bayonet this pix must be for the show.

Might be. But the rifles are being delivered to the units,that's the most important.

Plus, you don't need a scope to skewer an enemy.
If he's close enough to bayonet through, how much
magnification do you need? Are you near-sighted?

Et tout ça, toussa, Tay.

 

[Louiq XIV]

Are you near-sighted?

j'aime pas trop votre ton alors bonne soirée toussa.

 

[Taygibay]

Te braques pas mec! Myope, c'est pas une insulte. ^^^

Don't take it too seriously, near-sighted isn't an insult.
I probably forgot the string of supposedly funny smileys
again.

Besides, it so happens that sights should overreach on the
gun's own range and can be used for detection and so on.

But then, ripping through the torso of an enemy and lifting
him off his feet for good measure isn't that good for a sight
esp. a big one, esp. if the victim is covered in hard gear, etc.

Darn, it, no offense mec but how about removing that bi-pod
first as it clearly limits the bayonet's penetration capabilities?
As it is, it may protect the cannon's mouth but that reduces
the bayonet's usage to light striking, delicately piercing a thigh
or some such maybe, hoping for an artery?

Heck, in any case if you come within 6 inches of the bad end
of my AW, there's something faster drawn than a blade that
I will use?

Then ditch the bayonet altogether. Secret : when I was serving,
I had replaced it with a hefty knife of my choosing with which I
could really fight close quarters.
From which you can guess that I agree that that pic was for show?

Voilà, bigger picture shows the insult at most a taunt, if so interpreted
and here is the belated context to that sly remark : .

Allez, great day to you, sincerely, Tay.

 

[Louiq XIV]

I may have found the answer to the lake of sight on the last picture .

http://forcesoperations.com/a-la-recherche-de-designateurs-laser/

google translate :
"In Search of Laser Designers
The Armaments Branch (DGA) is looking at the acquisition of red-point assists for the future HK 416F assault rifle and a new generation of light laser designators.

According to a notice published on 13 April by the Official Bulletin of Public Procurement Announcements (BOAMP), a first contract "concerns the acquisition of approximately 120,000 sighting aid for the HK 416F". This quantity, which may evolve according to need, seems to confirm the abandonment of the possible recycling project of the red point systems Aimpoint COMP hitherto mounted on the FAMAS of the French forces.

The invitation to tender remains open until 18 May for a market notification planned for the 4th quarter of 2017. The selected industrialists will provide a sample of four systems to undergo three months of intensive evaluations.

Still in the area of target acquisition, the DGA has also formalized a project for the "qualification and acquisition of light-weight, long-range Laser Designators (DL-NG)", BOAMP. According to the DGA, the need is for 70 systems, whose mass must be less than or equal to 4 kg and whose laser beam has an energy greater than or equal to 80 millijoules (equivalent to less than one-tenth of the energy Necessary to raise an apple one meter on Earth).

Two industrial landscape players could stand out for this purchase: CILAS (Industrial lasers company) and Safran Electronics & Defense (formerly Sagem). The first can rely on 20 years of experience and on its designator laser DHY307 LW already acquired by the French special forces. The DHY 307 LW has a designation range of up to 10 km, apart from the fact that it meets the criteria laid down by the DGA to the letter. The CILAS know-how can also be easily integrated into the JIM LR multifunction infrared binocular produced by Safran and deployed since 2011 within the combat units of the French army."