The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will equip its armed forces with the HK416 A7. Luxembourg will replace the Steyr AUGs currently in service with weapons from Heckler & Koch through a contract worth 8.4 million Euros ($9.2 million).
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The procurement will also include Heckler & Koch HK269s which will replace older HK69A1s. The 5.56x45mm HK416s will be procured in two barrel lengths: 11 and 14.5 inches. The contract also includes 7.62x51mm HK417 A2 rifles which will likely provide a designated marksman rifle.
Luxembourg troops with Steyr AUGs (Luxembourg Army)
The Luxembourg Army is a battalion-sized formation and the latest available figures put Luxembourg’s full-time standing military at just around 1,000 personnel. While Luxembourg’s standing army is small it has provided personnel and equipment to UN, NATO and EU peacekeeping missions since the early 1990s.
The Luxembourg Army has not yet commented on the procurement but HK expects to deliver the rifles by 2024.
HK416A7 (Heckler & Koch)
Here’s Heckler & Koch’s announcement of the contract:
On 18 April 2023, the Luxembourg army commissioned Heckler & Koch to supply the future standard assault rifle to its armed forces.
In advance to the contract, Heckler & Koch was able to clearly win an intensive comparative test against a well-known European competitor. For about 8.4 million Euros, the army of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will receive an HK416 A7 assault rifle variant in 5.56 mm x 45 NATO calibre in two different barrel lengths – 11 and 14.5 inches.
The defence package is completed by 40 mm HK269 grenade launcher modules as well as HK417 A2 assault rifles in the NATO calibre 7.62 mm X 51. With this decision, the Luxembourg alliance partner is parting with its Steyr AUG used up to now and, with the HK416, the Luxembourg army is relying on a mission-proven quality product from Heckler & Koch for its soldiers which is widely used in the NATO.
The delivery of the new standard weapon to the Grand Duchy will take place within a year and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Find out more at www.heckler-koch.com
Matthew Moss
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TheFirearmBlog.com – Managing Editor
OvertDefense.com – Managing Editor
Matt is a British historian specialising in small arms development and military history. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. He also runs Historical Firearms, a blog that explores the history, development and use of firearms. Matt is also co-founder of The Armourer’s Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms.
Here on TFB he covers product and current military small arms news.