Beretta using success as model for new British army rifle: Weapon of the Week

What do you think of when you hear the name Beretta

For me, my mind instantly goes to Max Payne diving through the air

dodging bullets, and dealing harshly with his city's criminal underground. Most people, though, when hearing the name Beretta probably think of the M9

whether they're a firearms enthusiast or not. And for good reason. It was the primary sidearm for the U.S. military for more than three decades

While the M9 has since been replaced, Beretta is still very much in the defense business

this time with an eye on the UK, and that's why they are the focus of our Weapon of the Week

To say it was big news when the U.S. Army decided to move on from the M4 to the six-hour-made M7 for

its close contact troops is an understatement. The M4 is an iconic piece of American military

history. It's the same position the British military now finds itself with wanting to

replace the L85A3 more commonly known as the SA80 Enter Project Greyburn the British Ministry of Defense effort to find a replacement by 2030 One of the companies in the running for the job

is Beretta Defense Technologies, also known as BDT-UK. We are the military and law enforcement

arm of Beretta Holding Companies. So everything that applies to a tactical setting, whether that

being law enforcement or military. BDT UK is representative of that in the United Kingdom

dealing with law enforcement agencies and UK Ministry of Defense. Jack Cadman is the military

channel manager for BDT UK and one of the people helping lead the charge to make BDT's new assault

rifle project, or the Seiko M23, the replacement for the SA-80. To do that, he tells us BDT is

leaning on its history with the US military and the M9. So everything that took place with the US military, so delivering that pistol from a localized

production facility is something that we taking forward adapting to the UK requirements and making sure that we put that forward as part of our bid Boiled down that means putting the production of British weaponry into the hands of British workers

just like Beretta did years ago with the M9 in the US

So we're absolutely using all of the information and lessons learned from how to do that with the M9 contract

and putting it into the UK from that perspective. And we've worked with Beretta USA already, looking at how we would implement it from day zero of being awarded the contract through to delivery and beyond the delivery of the weapon system

Cadman, himself a British Army veteran, says it's a tremendous opportunity for everyone involved in the effort

Even though there's been localized contracts in different platforms before, It'll be the first time that the UK has an organic weapon or firearms production facility

for a specific contract. There are other gun manufacturers that have factories and production facilities in the UK

but in terms of doing it specifically for technological transfer and a long perspective that what we trying to do As for the new assault rifle project Cadman tells us they expect the requirements for the rifle chosen

to use 5.56 caliber rounds, but there are plans to future-proof the rifle

so it can accommodate 6.5 Grindle rounds as well should the MOD decide to go that route

He also tells us BDT UK spent a lot of time on the durability of the system

The scientists and engineers have worked relentlessly over in Italy to make sure that kind of this weapon system is exactly what it needs to be from that perspective

At least it can definitely deal with the UK weather system weather systems that often come in place and wherever the UK military might need to go

But that's something that we've absolutely tried to do. So, yeah, we're confident in the durability and endurance of this weapon system

So what's next? Those involved with Project Greyburn expect the assessment phase to start sometime next year

and likely go to contract in late 2026 or early 2027 for approximately 150,000 weapons