Australian soldiers are to be equipped with new and modern weapons including a pair of sniper rifles, a new shotgun plus a new handgun to replace the elderly Browning self-loading pistol which entered Australian service in 1964.
The new handgun is a variant of the SIG Sauer P320, chosen by the US military.
In Australian service, the new SIG will feature a reflex sight, giving its users a substantially enhanced capability to hit their targets and a white light torch for improved ability to operate at night.
The SIG was selected after trials in which it was pitted against such contenders as the widely used Glock 17.
The Browning, first introduced to service in 1935, is one of the world’s most widely used handguns and is renowned for its reliability and effectiveness.
But they’re getting old. In 2017, FN announced the end of production which means there would be no more factory support.
The design had also dated. Issue Browning iron sights are minimal, it has no ability to accept accessories such as lights. Modern polymer frame handguns are lighter with substantially greater magazine capacity.
Other nations had moved on. The British and New Zealand armies both adopted the Glock. In 2017, the US Army chose the SIG P320 to replace the Beretta M9, itself selected in 1985 to replace the Colt 1911.
Traditionally the ADF hasn’t regarded the handgun as an important weapon but that changed during operations in Iraq and then Afghanistan and the rise of so-called insider attacks.
That underlined the utility of sidearms - in an insider attack in an office or base setting, a handgun on the hip may be brought to action faster than a rifle on a rack in the corner.
Defence will ultimately acquire around 10,000 handguns.
The SIG is just one of a series of new weapons set to enter service through defence project Land 159, to be delivered in three tranches out to around end of decade.
The Australian Army’s standard issue Steyr EF88 will be around a while longer. This has just undergone an extensive refresh and will remain into next decade.
One of the new weapons is what the ADF calls a Personal Defence Weapon System to replace the long-serving Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine gun.
What was chosen was the SIG Sauer MCX in .300 Blackout calibre, a special forces preference as it is more lethal than 9mm and well suited to use with suppressors.
Notably, the MCX is a close relative of the SIG MCX Spear, the rifle chosen by the US as its next generation infantry rifle.
Australian soldiers will get a new Combat Shotgun, with the Italian Benelli M3A1 selected to replace the venerable Remington 870. The Benelli is widely used overseas including by Canada and New Zealand.
Defence is also acquiring two new precision rifle systems, the British Accuracy International AX-SR for long range sniper capability, and the US Barrett M107A1 for anti-materiel operations.
Acquisitions in Tranche 1 came overwhelmingly from overseas. The exception is a new fighting knife made by Australian company ZU Bladeworx.
In July 2020, Defence initially contracted defence company Nioa to conduct market assessment of Tranche 1 items, inviting bids and assessing proposals, in conjunction and making recommendations.
Now Nioa has been contracted to acquire the Tranche 1 items, deliver supporting services for verification and validation, certification and introduction into service, and through life support.