[Foreign Policy] Failed rearmament - Failed armament projects of the German Armed Forces: G95 assault rifle

Siehe auch:
[Außenpolitik] Gescheiterte Aufrüstung - Scheiternde Rüstungsvorhaben der Bundeswehr: Sturmgewehr G95

Since the announcement of the so-called "turning point (Zeitenwende)" in German defense policy the Bundeswehr has been making headlines regarding its rearmament. Defense spending is being repeatedly increased and personnel as well as equipment targets are constantly growing.
And certainly the Bundeswehr or rather its procurement system is capable of scaling up. Existing equipment can be procured again or in larger quantities in the future as long as it is still available.
However a closer look reveals that new meaning not yet procured equipment is causing significant problems. Interestingly considerable problems are arising with both commercially available products and custom made solutions. In light of the rising defense spending this deserves particular attention.

The German Armed Forces current assault rifle the Heckler & Koch G36 is to be replaced. The G36 will be replaced by the commercially available HK416 (G95) also from Heckler & Koch. The G36 and the HK416 (G95) have the same caliber and standard magazine size. However the differences between the two assault rifles and the specific procurement requirements of the HK416 (G95) present challenges and problems.

The G36 rifle is used by the German Armed Forces with a dual sight. This consists of a telescopic sight with 3x magnification and a reflex sight without magnification. This sight can be fitted with a night vision attachment making the G36 capable of night combat.

The HK416 (G95) is to be procured with a telescopic sight featuring adjustable magnification from 1x to 4x (Raytheon ELCAN Specter DR 1-4x). Approximately 120,000 assault rifles and corresponding accessories are to be procured. However significant limitations have emerged during the testing of the HK416 (G95). It was determined that the telescopic sight cannot be used with existing night vision goggles and that due to its design no night vision attachment is available for the telescopic sight. This is a major limitation as night vision cannot replace night combat capability. Night vision goggles block the view through mounted sights which is why mounted sights cannot be used with night vision goggles. The maximum volume of the concluded framework agreement has been increased from 128 million Euro to 720 million Euro. However only budget funds amounting to 144 million Euros have now been released for the procurement of the agreed minimum quantity of 50,000 mounted sights. [1] [2]

Furthermore the HK416 (G95) is a step backwards compared to the G36 due to its design. The HK416 (G95) has a fixed non-folding stock thus limiting mobility. Soldiers transport or carry their personal assault rifles more often than they are actually in combat. In addition the charging handle of the HK416 (G95) is located at the rear of the weapon making racking the slide while the rifle is shouldered difficult or impossible. However the charging handle must sometimes be used in case of malfunctions or when reloading.
An alternative would be the HK433 also from Heckler & Koch. The HK433 has a folding stock and a charging handle at the front and uses the same caliber and standard magazine size as the G36 and the HK416 (G95).

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Src:
[1] System Sturmgewehr Bundeswehr – Probleme bei der Optik? 2025-01-03
https://www.hartpunkt.de/system-sturmgewehr-bundeswehr-probleme-optik/
[2] Sturmgewehroptik – Bundeswehr darf nur Mindestmenge beschaffen und muss Alternativen prüfen 2025-12-18
https://www.hartpunkt.de/sturmgewehroptik-bundeswehr-darf-nur-mindestmenge-beschaffen-und-muss-alternativen-pruefen/