New Assault Rifle for British Army Special Forces

The British Army has selected the Knight’s Armament Company KS-1 as the new individual weapon for the new Ranger battalions and elements of the Royal Marines Commandos. The rifles will be procured via UK-based Company Edgar Brothers and the £90 million ($110 million) contract will see 10,000 new rifles delivered over the next decade. An initial £15 million order for 1,620 AIW systems has been placed with the British Army fielding them with the Army Special Operations Brigade, with the brigade expected to receive the first rifles by the end of 2023

According to The Firearm Blog, the requirement for the new rifle was released back in August 2021 in the UK’s Project Hunter, which was launched to select a new Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) to replace the SA80/L85 series of rifles and Colt Canada L119s in service with the Rangers and Royal Marines Commandos. The Knight’s KS-1 has been selected as the L403A1, beating off reported competition from Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer, Daniel Defense, and Glock.

The new rifles will supplement the L85A2 and L85A3 which currently equips the majority of the UK armed forces. The Royal Marines strike companies and surveillance and reconnaissance squadron will also be among the first to receive the L403A1.

The new report adds that the system builds around the Knight’s KS-1, but also includes a magnified optic from Vortex, an Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot, and the Knight’s QDC/MCQ-PRT suppressor.