LMT Defense Secures Swiss Army Contract for Assault Rifles
The Swiss Army selects LMT’s MARS-L rifle as its new 5.56×45 mm platform, with Special Forces expected to be the primary users
Photo: Swiss armed Forces
LMT Defense, an American small arms manufacturer, announced that it has won a contract to supply the Swiss Army with assault rifles in multiple models and calibers. According to the company, the primary model in this contract will be a 5.56×45 mm rifle designated as the Sturmgewehr 25 (Assault Rifle 25) in Switzerland. However, LMT did not disclose details regarding the quantity of rifles or delivery timelines.
According to the German website Soldat & Technik, the new rifle is based on LMT’s Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System – Light (MARS-L), which is chambered for 5.56×45 mm and operates on a gas piston mechanism. The Swiss Army will also receive variants with different barrel lengths—16 inches and 12 inches.
The report states that the primary users of the new rifle will be Swiss Army Special Forces, who currently use the Sturmgewehr 07, a modern and compact version of the Sturmgewehr 90 assault rifle. A full replacement of the Sturmgewehr 90 is unlikely in the near future, as the army estimates the rifle’s service life at least another decade.
LMT has been a long-time supplier to the Swiss Army. Swiss Special Forces have previously received the MARS-H, a heavier variant of the MARS rifle chambered in 7.62×51 mm, which, equipped with a telescopic sight, is in service with the 10th Reconnaissance Unit and the Military Police. In recent years, LMT has also supplied the MARS-L rifle to New Zealand and Estonia.
