LONDON (Realist English). The UK Ministry of Defence has launched Project Grayburn — a programme to completely replace the SA80 family of rifles that have been in British Army service since 1985. Industry estimates put the contract value at around €500 million, with plans to procure between 150,000 and 180,000 new rifles.
German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (HK), which has been responsible for upgrading the SA80 for more than two decades, is aiming to win this contract. As CEO Jens Bodo Koch stated, despite the growing role of drones on the battlefield, “infantry combat will not disappear, and the infantryman will always need a personal weapon.”
Three Options from Heckler & Koch
The German manufacturer has prepared three potential solutions for British military requirements:
| Option | Description |
| SA80 Next Upgrade | Another deep modernisation of the existing rifle |
| HK416 | Already adopted by the Bundeswehr under an €800 million contract |
| Third option | Dependent on final technical requirements (accuracy, weight, range, calibre) |
A particularly attractive proposition for London is the possibility of local production. HK already has a plant in Nottingham where previous SA80 upgrades were carried out. In 2026, the company further acquired a British firearms component manufacturer, enabling it to offer full‑scale production on UK soil.
The Competition: A Battle of Giants
Project Grayburn has attracted the attention of the world’s leading small‑arms manufacturers. HK’s main competitors include:
- FN Browning Group (Belgium). A state‑owned manufacturer that already operates the only production line for rifles and machine guns in the UK. In 2026, FN acquired British sniper‑rifle maker Accuracy International.
- Beretta Defence Technologies (Italy). Offering two platforms: the new NARP assault rifle and the Finnish SAKO M23 (ARG‑40), already in service with Finland and Sweden.
- SIG Sauer (US/Germany). Planning to compete with the MCX Spear variants, already adopted by the US Army.
Also mentioned as potential participants are the Czech CZ and Israeli IWI.
“Napoleon’s Heir” at the Helm of the German Manufacturer
Heckler & Koch was founded in 1949 in Oberndorf by three former Mauser engineers. After the Second World War, when Germany was prohibited from manufacturing weapons, the company started with machine tools and industrial equipment.
Since 2015, HK’s key shareholder has been Nicolas Walewski — a French financier and direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte (through the emperor’s liaison with the Polish Countess Maria Walewska). Walewski became majority shareholder in 2020.
Record Orders Amid European Rearmament
The war in Ukraine and rising defence budgets across Europe have driven an unprecedented surge in HK’s order book. The company’s order backlog grew from €219 million in 2021 to €700 million by the end of 2025. Revenue in 2025 reached a record €393 million, with net profit of €40 million. The company is also receiving orders for weapons for Ukraine, financed by the German government.
Project Grayburn Requirements
The UK Ministry of Defence officially released the requirements for Project Grayburn in January 2026. Key parameters include:
- Procurement volume: 150,000–180,000 rifles
- Variants: 5 different configurations based on a single receiver
- Timeline: production to begin by April 2028, with the programme running until March 2045
- Critical requirement: involvement of the UK defence industry in the production process
- Compatibility: rapid integration of optical sights, suppressors and other equipment
- Reliability: high performance across a wide range of climatic conditions
The SA80 Legacy Under Question
The SA80, introduced in 1985, has come a long way — from notoriously poor reliability to the modernised L85A3 version, which is expected to remain in service until the mid‑2030s. In total, around 200,000 rifles have been upgraded, with the latest batch of 15,600 units updated by HK UK on July 30, 2026.
Now the British Army faces a choice that will define its infantry capabilities for the next two decades. Heckler & Koch is offering not just a weapon, but a proven partnership — the company has already upgraded the SA80 for over 20 years and is ready to produce new rifles right in Britain.
Yet open questions remain. Can HK, which by its own admission offers more expensive weapons, convince the MoD to prioritise quality over price? Will the British government favour “sovereign capability” and local production — or choose a cheaper offer from competitors? And how will the fact that HK’s key shareholder is a descendant of Napoleon affect the decision — a factor that may not sit well with British military sensibilities?
For now, the competitors are not giving ground. FN already has a production line in Britain, Beretta offers two proven platforms, and SIG Sauer brings a rifle adopted by the US Army. The answers will not come before 2027, when the MoD is expected to announce the winner.
