The military’s standard issue SA80 has been in service for four decades (Image: Getty)
have been told that their outdated, “heavy” and “clunky” rifles are the laughing stock of .
A senior serving officer told The Times that the army’s L115A3 “sniper” rifle, first used in in 2008, is no longer a well-regarded weapon, with other nations being issued with upgraded, lighter and more capable versions in recent years.
They said: “The Europeans used to love all of our kit but now laugh at it,” before adding that an eastern European ally had their “mind blown” by the rifles issued to British snipers.
The problem is not merely consigned to sniper rifles issued to elite troops. Still, the SA80 assault rifle, the standard issue for British service personnel, was first brought into service four decades ago.
Despite undergoing several upgrades in that time, industry sources believe that the weapon, which fires the NATO standard 5.56mm round, has not fundamentally changed and would be unable to pierce Russian body armour, according to former US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley.
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The L115A3 ‘sniper’ rifle was first used in Afghanistan in 2008 but newer versions now exist (Image: MOD)
He told senators in 2020: “The 5.56 round, we recognise there is a type of body armour it does not penetrate, and adversarial states are selling that stuff on the internet for about 250 bucks.”
A soldier who teaches troops how to use the weapon and oversees annual proficiency tests told the Express.co.uk that whilst the SA80 is functional, it has fallen behind the quality of those issued to other nations.
He said: “The weapon is easy to operate and maintain in the field, but its weight and clunkiness make effective marksmanship harder to achieve.”
The military is believed to have around 150,000 SA-80s in service, but they have often been criticised for their clunkiness and weight.
Its effective range of 400m also means that many adversaries can outmatch the weapon systems, with standard-issue and rifles effective at 600-800m.
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The SA80 has been criticised for being heavy and lacking range. (Image: MOD)
The SA80 has also come in for criticism over its lack of lethality, with in and Iraq reporting on multiple occasions the need to hit a target several times to neutralise enemy targets.
Plans are afoot to equip soldiers with a modern replacement, and in 2020, the army launched Project Grayburn, designed to plan and integrate a replacement into service, although this is still in the concept phase.
More recently, Ranger and Commando forces have begun testing the Knight’s Stoner rifle, better known as the KS-1. An infantry officer with knowledge of the weapon has described it as a “great step forward.”
They told Express.co.uk: “The KS-1 is now with Ranger and Commando Units and will soon be going to 16 Air Assault Brigade.
“Hopefully, it will then be distributed to the rest of the forces to replace the SA80 over the next 10 years which is a real step forward and great thing for UK Defence.”
The KS-1 weighs just 3kg and has a range of scope capabilities that allow it to be effective at up to 1000m and in low-visibility conditions.