Aimpoint red dot sight for British automatic rifle

Aimpoint has been selected as the supplier of red dot sights for Britain's new assault carbine, designated the L403A1 by the British. The carbine is manufactured by the American company Knight's Armament, and both companies share the same British distributor: Edgar Brothers.

The carbine is being delivered as part of a system called the Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) system, under a project led by the British Ministry of Defence's procurement division, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). DE&S has entered into a framework agreement with Edgar Brothers valid for ten years, covering up to £90 million and 10,000 small arms, along with associated equipment and training. The initial call-off covers £15 million and just over 1,500 carbines within the framework of the contracted system.

"This is yet another example of how we are committed to investing in the most advanced equipment to support our troops on the battlefield," said James Cartlidge, Minister for Defence Procurement, in a government press release.

Two of the units receiving the new system are the Royal Marine Commando and the Ranger Regiment. The system will initially be delivered to the British Army's Special Operations Brigade, and the Ranger Regiment will receive the system later this year, the Army states in a press release. The AIW system consists of three components: the assault carbine (L403A1), a training package, and an optics system (L900A1).

Within the optics system, Aimpoint will supply its ACRO P-2 red dot sight, the company stated in a press release on 7 September. Erik Jeppsson, Sales and Marketing Director at Aimpoint, commented on the collaboration:

"We at Aimpoint are extremely proud to be part of the Hunter project, which strives to push the boundaries of innovation in modern personal weapons systems. We have full confidence in our distributor, Edgar Brothers, as they work together with DE&S to implement this system in a professional manner. We hope that our product will contribute to the success of the AIW by enhancing soldiers' ability to effectively carry out their missions."