Norway is ordering 8,200 new HK416 assault rifles with a caliber of 5.56 x 45 mm from German-based Heckler & Koch. The new rifles are to replace the obsolete AG-3 rifles (caliber: 7.62-mm) that have been the standard rifle in the Norwegian armed forces since the 1960s. The AG-3 is so old that it has been out of production since 33 years, the Norwegian defense ministry says.
At 3.5 kg, the new HK416 is a relatively lightweight rifle, and has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds and a firing rate of 700-900 rounds/minute.
The initial contract with Heckler & Koch is worth 100 million Norwegian crowns and was signed Thursday. It is to be followed by further orders in the future. Norway is also ordering Red Dot sights from Swedish-based Aimpoint AB with a value of 50 million Norwegian crowns.
--Joris Janssen Lok
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