Key Points
- Thales has been awarded a AUD100 million contract to deliver 30,000 new-generation bullpup assault rifles and around 2,500 integrated rifle grenade launchers to the Australian Defence Force
- Initial batches of the new rifle are being issued to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, with deliveries to the rest of the service to follow
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded Thales Australia an AUD100 million (USD73.6 million) contract to produce a new generation of rifles, grenade launchers, as well as spare parts and ancillaries at the company’s Lithgow Arms facility in New South Wales.
The contract award calls for the delivery of 30,000 F90 bullpup assault rifles – which will be designated the Enhanced F88 (EF88) rifle in Australian Defence Force (ADF) service – and approximately 2,500 Steyr Mannlicher SL40 integrated grenade launchers to commence in the «next few weeks».
Thales will supply two versions of the F90, both chambered for the 5.56×45 mm NATO ammunition, to the ADF: the 3.25 kg F90 model with a barrel length of 407 mm and an overall length of 700 mm, and the 3.39 kg F90M model with a 508 mm (20 in) barrel and overall length of 802 mm.
Thales Australia spokesperson Julian Elliot told IHS Jane’s on 5 August that while the F90 and EF88 are essentially the same weapons, some modifications have been made to the latter to meet ADF requirements. Currently in low-rate initial production (LRIP), deliveries of the new rifle will start in the «next few weeks» and are planned to be phased over six years.
IHS Jane’s was earlier told that while the F90 is visually similar to the current F88SA2 Austeyr service rifle, the new design incorporates a host of enhancements including a redesigned butt-stock with a ribbed polymer buttplate for improved grip, a lengthened top rail, and additional STANAG 4694 accessory rails on the three and six o’clock positions to accommodate a greater variety of ancillary devices. Taken together, these features improve the overall ergonomics of the rifle and enable it to be easily configured for a range of missions.
With the 40 mm SL40 grenade launcher mounted, the EF88 is approximately 20%, or 1.36 kg, lighter than the in-service F88SA2 with M203 launcher.
«We have also increased the reliability and general handling of the rifle while delivering these enhancements,» Graham Evenden, Thales Australia’s director of Integrated Soldier Systems, told IHS Jane’s in August 2014.
According to the Australian Army, the EF88 is currently being issued to the Townsville-based 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in June 2015 in advance of wider distribution to other army units throughout 2016.
«Trial results have confirmed our soldiers consider this weapon to be remarkably modular, balanced and accurate during combat and longer range shooting,» Colonel Scotty Palmer, an Australian Army Headquarters official, told army media. It is understood that 1 RAR will be employing the new rifle – which will be equipped with an enhanced day sight and foregrip, as well as the SL40 grenade launcher – in a range of training exercises, including the upcoming Exercise ‘Wantok Warrior’ in Papua New Guinea later in 2015.
Lessons learned from the initial equipping of 1 RAR with the EF88 will determine the range of weapon ancillaries – designed to optimise the performance of the rifle – that will be introduced in the future.
Thales Australia is already looking into further development to evolve the F90 design. While such plans are in their infancy and could not be detailed at this stage, IHS Jane’s understands that the company is exploring a range of options, including adapting the rife for other calibres of ammunition, as well as developing sustained-fire variants.
The export-ready F90 is also fitted for but not with electronic architecture including centralised power to enable it to function as part of an integrated soldier ensemble. In December 2013, Thales Australia issued a request for tender (RfT) on behalf of the Australian DoD seeking offers for suitable surveillance and target acquisition systems for the rifle. According to the company, these devices should be «day and night capable» and be «compact, lightweight, simple and robust while delivering the required performance».
«In general, we will work with current and future customers to further enhance the F90 family,» said Elliott. «Some of these enhancements are currently under discussion with [the] ADF, but we are not able to talk about them at this stage.»
COMMENT
The EF88 rifle is being acquired under the Australian DoD’s LAND 125 Phase 3C programme, which is aimed at improving the accuracy and lethality of ADF troops while improving its ergonomics for greater user comfort.
According to the DoD in its 2012 Defence Capability White Paper, initial operational capability (IOC) of the EF88 rifle is planned between financial year 2016-17 and 2017-18. However, the current F88SA2 service rifle is not expected to be fully replaced before 2021.
Fuente: http://www.janes.com
