British forces to get new rifles designed in the US

LONDON — The British military is turning to the ArmaLite rifle to boost the lethality of some of its specialist forces, according to a deal announced Sept. 7.

An initial £15 million ($19 million) order for 1,620 KS-1 weapons has been placed by the British, with options to procure up to 10,000 systems at a total cost of £90 million over the next decade.

The weapons will initially be fielded by the British Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB), but Royal Marine Commandos are also in line to get the weapon as part of a wider modernization of their capabilities.

To be known as the Alternative Individual Weapon System, or L403A1, in British service, the weapons will be manufactured in the United States by Knights Armaments, but assembled in the U.K. by Macclesfield, northwest England-based arms company Edgar Brothers.

The British company is responsible for sourcing and assembling the sub-systems that make up the weapon.

British Army Ranger regiments are scheduled to start receiving the new rifle by the end of the year.

The L403A1 is the latest variant of the SR-16 ArmaLite assault rifle fitted with a muzzle signature reduction system and an improved optical sighting system developed by Vortex Optics of Wisconsin.

The magnified optic enables users to engage threats from greater distances while the signature reduction system helps mask the weapon from detection.

The weapon replaces the SA80/L85 series of rifles and Colt Canada L119s currently used by the Rangers and elements of the Royal Marines.

British Army program official Lt. Col. Gareth Davies said the new L403A1 weapon is a significant step up in capability.

“It offers a marked increase in lethality, and the system includes one of most capable day sights currently available. Importantly the weapon system will be further enhanced by our newest generation of night optics, with which the ASOB are already equipped,” he said.

Purchase of the weapons comes as the British are in the early phases of a program, known as Project Grayburn, to replace thousands of SA80 rifles used by the military.

Andrew Chuter is the United Kingdom correspondent for Defense News.

伦敦——根据9月7日宣布的一项协议，英国军方将采用阿玛莱特步枪来提高其一些特种部队的杀伤力。

英国已下达首笔价值 1500 万英镑（1900 万美元）的订单，订购 1620 套 KS-1 武器，并可选择在未来十年内以总成本 9000 万英镑采购多达 10000 套系统。

这些武器最初将由英国陆军特种作战旅（ASOB）装备，但作为其能力更广泛现代化的一部分，皇家海军陆战队突击队也将获得该武器。

该武器在英国军队中被称为替代单兵武器系统，或 L403A1，由美国 Knights Armaments 公司制造，但由位于英格兰西北部麦克尔斯菲尔德的武器公司 Edgar Brothers 在英国组装。

这家英国公司负责采购和组装构成该武器的各个子系统。

英国陆军游骑兵团计划于今年年底开始接收新型步枪。

L403A1 是 SR-16 ArmaLite 突击步枪的最新型号，配备了由威斯康星州 Vortex Optics 公司开发的枪口特征降低系统和改进的光学瞄准系统。

放大瞄准镜使用户能够从更远的距离打击威胁，而特征降低系统则有助于掩盖武器，使其不被探测到。

该武器取代了游骑兵和皇家海军陆战队部分人员目前使用的 SA80/L85 系列步枪和柯尔特加拿大 L119 步枪。

英国陆军项目官员加雷斯·戴维斯中校表示，新型 L403A1 武器在性能上有了显著提升。

“它能显著提高杀伤力，而且该系统配备了目前市面上性能最强的白光瞄准镜之一。更重要的是，我们最新一代的夜视瞄准镜将进一步增强这套武器系统的性能，ASOB 已经配备了这种瞄准镜，”他说道。

英国购买这些武器之际，正处于一项名为“格雷伯恩计划”的项目的早期阶段，该计划旨在替换军队使用的数千支SA80步枪。

Andrew Chuter 是《防务新闻》的英国记者。