The next standard assault rifle of the French army might be the....

[Gabriel92]

ARX-160.

The ARX 160, here in the hands of Pierrick Mazodier, the Director General Humbert, could be the future assault rifle of the French army

To replace the famous Famas (assault rifle of the arms factory of Saint Etienne), now aged 37, the Directorate General of Armaments launched last spring, a European call for nominations. Fifteen companies responded. Including a French-Italian tandem with Beretta and its subsidiary Humbert, based in Veauche.

By the end of the month of June, Beretta and Humbert will deliver to the army thirty guns ARX 160, the model that is offered to replace the Famas. They will suffer in the wake of a battery of tests. The military planned to hurt them as much as possible to ensure their impact resistance, their shooting accuracy and robustness in extreme conditions.

Loire | L’armurerie Humbert toujours en lice pour équiper l’armée française

 

[Sage]

Why don't France just switch to HK-416 as it is more reliable and combat proven as compared to ARX ?

 

[Zarvan]

ARX-160.

The ARX 160, here in the hands of Pierrick Mazodier, the Director General Humbert, could be the future assault rifle of the French army

To replace the famous Famas (assault rifle of the arms factory of Saint Etienne), now aged 37, the Directorate General of Armaments launched last spring, a European call for nominations. Fifteen companies responded. Including a French-Italian tandem with Beretta and its subsidiary Humbert, based in Veauche.

By the end of the month of June, Beretta and Humbert will deliver to the army thirty guns ARX 160, the model that is offered to replace the Famas. They will suffer in the wake of a battery of tests. The military planned to hurt them as much as possible to ensure their impact resistance, their shooting accuracy and robustness in extreme conditions.

Loire | L’armurerie Humbert toujours en lice pour équiper l’armée française

Pakistan has given this Guns to Special Forces unit of Sindh Police

 

[Taygibay]

Just a few precisions on this matter :
The choice is be made between July and December of this year with first deliveries in late 2016.
The complex financial and production requirements for the tender are the main reason why no French product is on the list even though some exist that fit the technical aspects but their makers do not conform to things like having had an average of 80M Euros in turnover over the last 3 consecutive years and other "niceties" of the sort.
Gabriel did well to showcase the Beretta since local production will favor it somewhat in the end.

BUT …
The 3 favorites at present are the HK-416 ( an AR-15 clone ), the ARX-160 and the FN SCAR :

According to French military sources ARX is the preferred choice of troops and SCAR of trainers but then again, many ex-soldiers went the other way around with SCAR first. Strangely, the HK was almost always last despite being in use with Armée de l'Air and most SF units.

This said, we all know that any military procurements' final decision is partly political since those that decide are ministers so that a selection cannot be predicted easily if at all.
One unmentioned possibility that could thus be chosen is the F90, a version of the Australian F88 Austeyr, itself a derivative of the Steyr AUG A1.

Thales présente le F-90, un nouveau fusil d'assaut - Zone Militaire French language link.
Why? Simply because ( supposing it makes it to the final cut group ) it is produced by Thales for Oz and then has the same advantage the 160 does of being "local".
Thales debuts new assault rifle – the F90 | Thales Group
Thales fits all requirements and is partly own by the French state, which is not to be understated.
One outsider worthy of mention is the Polish Radom MSBS.

Specifics of the contract give a 50-50% split between std and short versions, the 5.56mm caliber and the 40x46mm grenade caliber.
Boamp.fr | Avis n°14-70321 Official French state link / French only.

I hope this helps and good day all, Tay.

 

[A1Kaid]

Why don't France just switch to HK-416 as it is more reliable and combat proven as compared to ARX ?

The HK-416 is a German rifle, that's why.

 

[Taygibay]

The HK-416 is a German rifle, that's why.

Perfectly racist post! I just specified above that the HK-416 is in use with French Special forces and GIGN.
Your comment was in no way constructive. Do not transfer your hyper-nationalism to others, please!
This is known as psychological projection and it's a pathology of the weak!

Sorry, Tay.

 

[A1Kaid]

Perfectly racist post! I just specified above that the HK-416 is in use with French Special forces and GIGN.
Your comment was in no way constructive. Do not transfer your hyper-nationalism to others, please!
This is known as psychological projection and it's a pathology of the weak!

Sorry, Tay.

Taygibay,

First stop crying and getting overly emotional. Nothing about the my post was racist nor "hyper" nationalist. You really shouldn't be on a defense and military forum since you are so hyper-sensitive.

As for my post it holds a valid point that the French arms industry does not want a German arms manufacturer taking over their market and getting the contract with the French army. There are nationalist interests involved whether you like it or not.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

@Gabriel92 @halloweene

Why no French design from the French industry?

 

[Taygibay]

Taygibay,

First stop crying and getting overly emotional. Nothing about the my post was racist nor "hyper" nationalist. You really shouldn't be on a defense and military forum since you are so hyper-sensitive.

As for my post it holds a valid point that the French arms industry does not want a German arms manufacturer taking over their market and getting the contract with the French army. There are nationalist interests involved whether you like it or not.

It is not a matter of being hyper-sensitive A1Kaid and I first joined mili fora in 1994 so that after 20 years, your comment is of little value on that as the previous one was on racism bases which I maintain.
Your post holds no validity whatsoever : French and German industries have begun merging years ago. Airbus began in 1970 De/Fr/UK mostly; Eurocopter dates from 1992 Fr/De/UK mostly; MBDA formed in 1996 UK/Fr added It and includes LFK GmbH since 2005 while talks are ongoing to merge KMW and Nexter for land systems.
Not only does this show that French and Germany have merged mili concerns for a long time thus negating your failed argument that : France " … does not want a German arms manufacturer getting the contract with the French army." but it shows you don't remember that both of these countries have been united since 1948 ( Yes, 3 years after WWII ! ) in attempting to unite Europe, officially so since the Treaty of Rome in 1958 and side by side in cooperation since the Élysée treaty of 1963 between De Gaulle and Adenauer.
So that if you insist that your post was not racist, the only way that pretense could fit with facts is in saying that you are either a liar or have so little knowledge of politico-military matters that as you say :
"You really shouldn't be on a defense and military forum …"

Facts : I've already given you twice : the HK_416 is in use with the French Armed Forces and do read below about another German weapon that now equips our Police!

Take your pick of cause for your incorrect statement but argumenting further won't save you from being wrong.
It was this lack of substance that prompted my answer. I am indeed sensitive then … against mistakes, lies and speaking out of one's … huh… ignorance, shall we say? Globally by the way, not on a nationalistic basis!
Sorry!
For a recent reference :
European weapons firms to merge - Telegraph

Why no French design from the French industry?

WCE mate, I answered that above? The government has put out a set of rules about the economic structure of the participants to this tender that simply does not correspond to any existing French firm in this domain of activity. The idea was to acquire the new AR from a firm that would be economically viable thus avoiding either a possible disappearance of the provider while the contract was on-going or that the State would end up having to keep the firm alive through ( "forced" ) subsequent orders.

Even for police, the weapon in use is the Sig-Sauer SP 2022 since 2002, a Swiss and German pistol that further invalidates the poster from above. As France does not allow for bearing arms on a daily civilian basis, its manufacturing sector waned over the years. The same holds pretty much true for assault rifles. When the new tender was envisioned, there was no one left to do the job; it's that simple!

I hope that answers you ( although it was already in my initial post seconding Gabriel's news ).

And a good day to you, Tay.

 

[A1Kaid]

It is not a matter of being hyper-sensitive A1Kaid and I first joined mili fora in 1994 so that after 20 years, your comment is of little value on that as the previous one was on racism bases which I maintain.
Your post holds no validity whatsoever : French and German industries have begun merging years ago. Airbus began in 1970 De/Fr/UK mostly; Eurocopter dates from 1992 Fr/De/UK mostly; MBDA formed in 1996 UK/Fr added It and includes LFK GmbH since 2005 while talks are ongoing to merge KMW and Nexter for land systems.
Not only does this show that French and Germany have merged mili concerns for a long time thus negating your failed argument that : France " … does not want a German arms manufacturer getting the contract with the French army." but it shows you don't remember that both of these countries have been united since 1948 ( Yes, 3 years after WWII ! ) in attempting to unite Europe, officially so since the Treaty of Rome in 1958 and side by side in cooperation since the Élysée treaty of 1963 between De Gaulle and Adenauer.
So that if you insist that your post was not racist, the only way that pretense could fit with facts is in saying that you are either a liar or have so little knowledge of politico-military matters that as you say :
"You really shouldn't be on a defense and military forum …"

Facts : I've already given you twice : the HK_416 is in use with the French Armed Forces and do read below about another German weapon that now equips our Police!

Take your pick of cause for your incorrect statement but argumenting further won't save you from being wrong.
It was this lack of substance that prompted my answer. I am indeed sensitive then … against mistakes, lies and speaking out of one's … huh… ignorance, shall we say? Globally by the way, not on a nationalistic basis!
Sorry!
For a recent reference :
European weapons firms to merge - Telegraph


WCE mate, I answered that above? The government has put out a set of rules about the economic structure of the participants to this tender that simply does not correspond to any existing French firm in this domain of activity. The idea was to acquire the new AR from a firm that would be economically viable thus avoiding either a possible disappearance of the provider while the contract was on-going or that the State would end up having to keep the firm alive through ( "forced" ) subsequent orders.

Even for police, the weapon in use is the Sig-Sauer SP 2022 since 2002, a Swiss and German pistol that further invalidates the poster from above. As France does not allow for bearing arms on a daily civilian basis, its manufacturing sector waned over the years. The same holds pretty much true for assault rifles. When the new tender was envisioned, there was no one left to do the job; it's that simple!

I hope that answers you ( although it was already in my initial post seconding Gabriel's news ).

And a good day to you, Tay.

France " … does not want a German arms manufacturer getting the contract with the French army." but it shows you don't remember that both of these countries have been united since 1948 ( Yes, 3 years after WWII ! ) in attempting to unite Europe, officially so since the Treaty of Rome in 1958 and side by side in cooperation since the Élysée treaty of 1963 between De Gaulle and Adenauer.
So that if you insist that your post was not racist, the only way that pretense could fit with facts is in saying that you are either a liar or have so little knowledge of politico-military matters that as you say :
"You really shouldn't be on a defense and military forum …"

Doesn't matter whether they have had political reconciliation that doesn't mean French arms industry would be okay with a German arms company getting the contract with the French army. You can write all the irrelevant gibberish you want you still cannot refute that basic and fundamental point. Fact is I am right and you are wrong, France will not go with the HK-416 for a multitude of reasons one being HK is a German arms manufacturer and the French army would like to get a domestic contractor for the job of issuing standard rifles for the military.

 

[Taygibay]

The dogs bark and the wise use ear plugs.

 

[A1Kaid]

The dogs bark and the wise use ear plugs.

The only dog here is you, a hyper-sensitive and overly emotional French poodle.