French Army to replace the Famas Rifle
I
first reported rumors that the French would be replacing the FAMAS
rifle back in 2009. During a recent meeting with the Commission of
Defense, the French CEMAT (Chef d’Etat Major de l’Armée de Terre / Chief
of Staff of the Army), General Ract Madoux, confirmed that the French
Army would issue a RFP (Request For Proposals) in 2013 for a replacement
service rifle for the French Army.
The
French FAMAS rifle has been a disaster. Its delayed blowback action is
powerful enough to rip apart regular NATO brass-cased 5.56x45mm cases
and its rifling does not stabilize the modern 5.56mm NATO bullets.
VIDEO
The French Army is forced to use steel cased 5.56mm ammunition,
thus eliminating the advantages of using the same cartridge as their
NATO and EU allies. It that was not bad enough, the ammunition is no
longer made in France and has ben to imported. A French journalist told
me that China manufactures steel-cased 5.56mm for French military (I
will say that another French journalist I spoke to disputes that
ammunition is imported from China).
The
manufacturer of the FAMAS, the state-owned Manufacture d’Armes de
Saint-Etienne (MAS), has been developing firearms since 1777 and is well
known for developing the first smokeless power military rifle,
the Lebel Model 1886. Sadly this organization no longer has the
technical capability to develop a new rifle, which is why France is
looking beyond her borders for a new rifle.
I have compiled a list of potential contenders for a new French service rifle, along with their pros and cons.