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

A UK L85A3 (SA80 family) rifle with M-LOK handguard. The SA80 is due to be replaced by 2035. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)

By early 2026 the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is expected to have published some tender requirements for Project Grayburn – the procurement of 170,000 new weapon systems to replace the UK armed forces' SA80 family of service rifles.

Janes understands that the out-of-service date of the SA80, originally planned for 2030, has now been pushed back to 2035. Janes spoke to manufacturers considering assault rifle submissions to Project Grayburn.

Berretta Defense Technologies (BDT)

Following BDT's launch of its UK strategy in July 2025, the manager of the Military and Law Enforcement Group of BDT UK, Jack Cadman, detailed to Janes the proposed offering to the UK MoD, which he said could create up to 70 new high-skilled manufacturing jobs.

The bid includes the Beretta New Assault Rifle Platform (NARP) and Sako Arctic Rifle Generation (ARG) assault rifles for dismounted close combat (DCC) and combat support (CS) roles. BDT said the calibres of the two assault rifles will be changeable to accommodate possible evolutions in MoD requirements across their service lives.

BDT Group has sought ammunition input for a bid from its subsidiary Norma Group and sighting from group company Steiner Optics. BDT's own suppressors may also be included as part of a bid, depending on tender requirements. The company also provided a conceptual site master plan to upgrade an existing Lincolnshire facility it uses into a small-arms production hub. Projections were released for production capacity and domestic production scenarios, which included 5%, 20%, 80%, and 100% domestic UK-manufactured weapon systems.