Europeans call UK army a 'laughing stock' due to outdated weapons - British officer
A senior British army officer has called his own army the "laughingstock" of Europe for using outdated weapons that are unable to compete with modern armies of potential adversaries.
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An unnamed British officer in an interview with The Times said that European allies once highly valued British weapons, but now they only laugh. He particularly criticised the L115A3 sniper rifle, which has remained in service for 30 years, while other countries have already updated their arsenals.
Another problem is the SA-80 standard assault rifle, which has remained almost unchanged since the 1980s. It was designed to penetrate old Russian helmets, which have long been decommissioned. Instead, Russian troops use level four armour, against which British 5.56mm ammunition is no longer effective.
Allies, including the United States, are gradually switching to the new 6.8 mm calibre, which is significantly more powerful than the British standard. At the same time, a 2017 US Senate report confirmed that British weapons no longer meet modern combat requirements.
Despite the criticism, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson stressed that the SA-80 has been modernised and remains "one of the most accurate service rifles".
Source: The Times
