C.G. Haenel, a company based in Thuringia and part of the Merkel Group, has been awarded the contract for the Bundeswehr’s new assault rifle, beating off competition from Heckler & Koch.
The decision comes as a surprise, as Heckler & Koch had been the main supplier of rifles to the German armed forces since the 1950s, while Haenel was primarily known as a manufacturer of hunting and sporting weapons. There was also criticism of the ownership structure: Merkel is in fact owned by Caracal-Holding, a weapons manufacturer in the United Arab Emirates. However, according to Haenel Managing Director Olaf Sauer, the product best met the requirements of the Bundeswehr Procurement Office as defined in the tender. “It is convincing in the sum of practical testing, product performance and the most economical overall offer.” Sauer also points out that variants of this weapon have already been successfully introduced by German police authorities and special units and have proven themselves in practice.
The new MK 556 assault rifle in 5.56 x 45 caliber is intended to replace the H&K G 36 model in all branches of the armed forces. It is based on Eugene Stoner’s AR 15 system, which is used by the American and many Western armed forces. According to Haenel, the Bundeswehr’s future assault rifle will be manufactured predominantly in Germany, with the German production share amounting to 90 percent. The tender comprises a total of 120,000 weapons and the order volume is around 250 million euros.
