BDT confirms delivery of 7,000 NARP assault rifles to Italian Army

Beretta NARP 5.56 mm assault rifle, right-hand side. (Beretta Defense Technologies)

Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) revealed further details to Janes of the first significant delivery of its New Assault Rifle Project (NARP) at the Enforce Tac 2026 exhibition held in Nuremberg, Germany, in late February.

The assault rifle, first unveiled at DSEI 2023, was delivered to the Italian Army in an initial contract for 7,000 units. In the fourth quarter of 2025 the Italian Army began a phased roll-out of the weapon to replace its in-service Beretta ARX160 assault rifles.

The contracted rifle was chambered in 5.56×45 mm, although 6.5 mm Grendel and .300 Blackout (BLK) chamberings are also available, and had a 14.5 inch (368 mm) barrel. Speaking to Janes at Enforce Tac, Jack Cadman, manager of the military and law enforcement group at BDT UK, confirmed that development of a 7.62×51 mm configuration of the NARP assault rifle is under way.

Cadman told Janes that BDT was preparing bids for several forthcoming UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) tenders. These included Project Grayburn, intended to replace the SA80 assault rifle family, for which BDT put forward its Beretta NARP and Sako assault rifles. Another was Project Shamer, to replace the UK's Accuracy International L115 & L118 sniper rifles with a multicalibre single chassis sniper rifle. BDT put forward its the Sako TRG M10.

Additional opportunities included counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) shotguns as part of the British Army's Task Force Rapstone initiative; and an emerging requirement for a .338 Norma Magnum medium machine gun in partnership with True Velocity.

For more, please see:

Update: Candidates line up to replace UK's SA80 assault rifle