The large French concern Thales secretly handed over its new Australian-made assault rifles to the APU, Les Echos reports. For the company, Ukraine is an excellent testing ground where you can test weapons before showing them at exhibitions, the author of the article notes.
The French group Thales secretly handed over to Ukraine "a few" new ACAR assault rifles designed and manufactured in Australia.
The arsenal of the Ukrainian army may soon be replenished with a new basic weapon from a large French company: modern assault rifles of the Thales concern. According to our information, this group last month secretly supplied the APU with "a few" Australian ACAR combat rifles "for testing and evaluation."
"We are not talking about a contract or a sale," says a representative of Thales. "Therefore, we have not made any statements to date."
Australian Army Rifle
Manufactured in Australia by a local subsidiary of Thales (Lithgow Arms), the ACAR rifle (from the Australian Combat Assault Rifle) is an improved model of the F-90, which was developed specifically for the Canberra Army in the early 2000s. Thales invested several million dollars in the creation of these weapons and the provision of the necessary production facilities with a clear desire to no longer be limited to the Australian market.
In 2015, Thales did not participate in the French army's tender for the replacement of the Famas rifle due to the fact that at that time it could not meet the technical requirements of the General Directorate of Armaments. The forces of Paris had to choose their new assault rifle from foreign manufacturers. The Famas was replaced by the German HK416-F submachine gun. That is why Thales is interested in using the combat experience of Ukraine before showing ACAR at upcoming weapons exhibitions.
Ukraine is a testing ground for new weapons
The new Australian ACAR rifle should fill a gap in Thales' commercial range, in particular due to the greater versatility of ammunition. Various modifications of the weapon are designed to use ammunition of 5.56 caliber (NATO standard) and 7.62 mm, a new American cartridge of 6.8 mm caliber, as well as a large number of accessories (grenade launchers, laser sight, night vision goggles).
The ACAR combat rifle will not be the first novelty to be tested on the Ukrainian front. With the prolongation of the conflict, this country has become a testing ground for new weapons. In particular, Thales sold Kiev a copy of its newest mobile radar detection system GM200 in combination with an anti-aircraft system. The Group also participated in the introduction of a new secure communication system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, combining all types of data, modeled on NATO.
Author: Bruno Trevidic
