I thought I would have a crack at a new series on here. This series will focus on looking into the armed forces of each country a part of the Commonwealth of Nations, to learn about equipment of personnel, vehicles, weapons, and more. Naturally we shall start with the United Kingdom.
This for the United Kingdom is Part 1 of 2, Part 1 focuses on the British Army as is evident, on the equipment and weapons they use. Part 2 will focus on all the vehicles used by the British Army. Then after that I will move on to the Air Force and then Navy.
The British Army
The British Army are the ground forces of the United Kingdom including soldiers, their equipment and weapons, vehicles, and tanks. As it stands the British Army has around 83,700 personnel and 30,000+ reserves, totaling around 118,000+ manpower. The British Army, just like the other branches of the armed forces, are suited for fighting abroad such as in peacekeeping missions and other military operations and can be sent to work in humanitarian situations. The forces are geared towards expeditionary warfare and the British Army’s rapid response brigade (able to deploy at short notice) is the 16 Air Assault Brigade, of which is actually only based around 20-minutes away from where I live.
Such rapid response brigades obviously also work alongside the other armed forces branches when needed for air or sea transport and support.
As it stands there are as many as 214 corps, regiments, and units that make up the British Army and have a focus on various or specialize in numerous different areas and activities from logistics and support, to infantry, medical, armoured, artillery, bomb disposal, communications, information, intelligence, training, ceremonial, assault support, and more.
So, let’s get into what equipment and weapons our soldiers have access to…
British Army Personnel Equipment and Weapons
Luckily when it comes to the British Army they maintain a handy website of equipment, weapons, and vehicles that are currently in active use and ready for active use should it be needed. As such, much of what is seen here is cited from army.mod.uk, but I will also look deeper into things elsewhere for multiple perspectives.
Equipment and Armour
Personal Role Radio
Now a days communication is almost always near instant and that comes to massive benefit to the armed forces of the world, including the British Army who actively use the Personal Role Radio (currently the H4855) to keep in contact with each other during operations and in active war zones. The radio is geared towards communication over short distances, and so it isn’t foolproof if some soldiers end up too far away due to whatever reason, but there is still the strong possibility that their radio will be in close proximity to another fellow soldier.
Most important is that the website states the radio remains effective through thick cover and building walls, which is excellent news as such is important for survival in firefights. But overall the radio is far more effective out in rural areas where its full range can be utilized, too many walls or other obstacles in urban areas can still interfere with the signal.
The website says the radio allows section commanders to react quickly and efficiently to rapidly changing situations, this is obviously essential as battles and active war zones would often be rapidly changing situations. Reliable communication for fire teams is superior for effective and efficient organization and response.
The website notes that the system is easy to use, is not obtrusive, and is comfortable to wear while being rugged enough to keep working through the harshest of environments. Shouting and hand signals are often still used alongside the radios. Hand signals in particular may remain superior inj certain situations as they are much quieter, and have far less of a chance of accidentally alerting nearby enemies to your presence. Hand signals also can’t be intercepted by counter-intelligence electronics used by the enemy.
Although there is some integrated protection against enemy interception of personal role radio communications it isn’t foolproof and is one of the downsides of them, as they are not securely encrypted, although probability of interception is low.
The battery life of these radios last 20 hours, has 500-meter range in rural areas, 200-meter in urban environments, and 256 channels that can be utilized.
Clothing
Personnel currently use the multi-terrain pattern combat clothing which blends into various environments, woodlands, jungle, compounds, crops, grasslands, and arid stone, all areas where they’re most likely to be deployed. The current clothing is fairly new and replaced the previous Combat 95 uniform that had been in use for around four decades. The website explains the uniform’s camouflage was developed after extensive laboratory tests and field evaluations.
This also included computer modelling to represent deserts and mixed environments in Afghanistan.
So as can be seen the uniform is best suited for current operations and deployments that the British Army are most likely to take part in or be involved in. Many people will look at both the previous uniform and the current and probably not really be able to tell much of a difference, but small changes and new designs can make all the difference while out there, that can’t really be seen just by eye alone, which is why it involves so much testing through various means.
But that also isn’t all, we also get information on other articles of clothing. There is clothing designed to be resistant to flames, very handy during warfare I can only imagine, and there are also special anti-microbial underpants, and unlike normal underwear that you would preferably like to wash each day after wearing, the anti-microbial underpants can be worm for days at a time without causing discomfort or poor hygiene, very optimal for the situations soldiers may find themselves in, where lugging off uniform to change underpants regularly is simply not always possible, it’s clearly more efficient to wear pants that can stay on for longer periods of time without adverse effects.
When talking about the entire clothing and uniform of the Army it comes under the name of Personal Clothing System. The website describes the current uniform as the toughest, efficient and most comfortable yet and that it is easily adaptable for various environments. Uniforms also include pelvic protection and body armour.
The thermal shirt and windproof thermal smock provide thermal insulation and sweat wicking, this means that soldiers are less effected from being too hot or too cold and that their sweat will be transferred to the outer layer and dried off, preventing discomfort and adverse hygiene, soldiers simply don’t have time or the ability to wash every day while on operations or in war zones.
The website makes sure to note that pockets on the uniform are placed in such a way that they’re easily accessible at all times, even while wearing body armour, and it is of note that the additional panels on uniform help to prevent wear and tear, very important to make the precious uniform last as long as possible and keep soldiers as safe as possible.
The Personal Load Carrying Equipment is what the soldiers use to carry all the equipment they need on their operations; it is designed to hold everything a soldier needs for at least 48 hours. It is known as a webbing system, but basically, it’s just a highly specialized backpack. Things these webbing systems hold include ammunition, an entrenching tool, bayonet, food and water, means to cook, protective and communications equipment, among other items and clothing.
Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan also receive specialized water proof socks that reach up to the knees, these socks also protect against bacteria and are perfect for when a soldier may need to wade through a body of water, keeping them more comfortable than they’d otherwise be if they got completely soaked, creating unhygienic conditions and breeding grounds for bacteria. The website notes that they are also far superior to any conventional socks you or me may have, able to also be used during winter months to keep soldiers’ feet nice and warm.
Body Armour and Helmet
There are currently two body armour types, the Osprey Assault Body Armour is still in widespread usage but it is being phased out by the new Virtus body armour. The Osprey Assault Body Armour provides what it describes as excellent protection against ballistics, and is also more comfortable than previous armour. The current Osprey armour improved upon the previous by being designed as closer fitting. Improved rubber mouldings on the shoulders of the armour also help to prevent heavy rucksacks and weapons from slipping off, making them more efficient.
Ammunition is also made more accessible by the addition of draw-cords as an alternative to velcro, and the protective plate of the armour was moved into a pocket within the armoured vest which makes it less bulky and obstructive to movement.
Then we have the brand new Virtus system body armour, which improves on agility and carrying of heavy equipment. Protection is the same as the previous Osprey armour but is much lighter and moves with the body a lot easier, which is what improves agility and I can only imagine makes it more comfortable, it says it also gives a slimmer profile to soldiers, I can imagine many technical situations where that is handy.
The Virtus body armour protection can also be modified via the addition or removal of soft armour pads and hard ballistic plates allowing the ability to match to the type of threat being faced. It is also explained that one of the most radical additions to the Virtus is an integral spine known as the dynamic weight distribution system which is a device that spreads the weight of body armour and carried equipment across the back, shoulders, and hips. More friendly to your health and again helping to improve agility and weight efficiency.
This weight distribution system was specifically designed due to the long-running issue of soldiers being overburdened on the field, which may result in back, spinal, knee and leg injuries in the long term, as well as causing acute injuries, and also just generally makes them slow and bulky and in turn more visible, which may present an easier target for enemies. A system that can largely scale back this problem would be quite the large and needed step forward.
But there have been complaints that the new Virtus armour and kit-carrying system has only been designed with men in mind, with injuries for female soldiers using the new Virtus armour continuing due to heavy weight and a fitting more aligned with the build of men, in particular hip injuries have been reported in woman using the new waist pouches.
The Virtus also comes with a quick-release system which is a pin on the chest area that can be pulled to release the entire armour. I can see that being very handy if a soldier is wounded and they need to quickly access the area, less time is spent lugging off the armour manually.
It is noted with the Virtus Body Armour system that soldiers will need a day’s worth of training and familiarization to get used to it. That doesn’t sound too bad considering all its benefits.
You never really think about how advanced a simple piece of uniform and body armour can be, but there is so much that goes into them that you’d never really think much of.
There have been other general complains about the Virtus Body armour. According to a BBC article from May 2016 there have been complaints from soldiers about the new body armour. One complaint is that the webbing a part of the armour which allows carrying of a soldier’s kit and ammunition, have been snapping, there have also been complaints of less room to carry things. And soldiers who have gone into a prone position while wearing the new armour have found it difficult to get back up again. Some have also said the armour is too difficult to get on in the dark.
The Ministry of Defense promised back then to have all the issues addressed and that the majority of feedback for the Virtus Body Armour was positive.
The above could merely just be teething problems of a new armour and since we’ve heard no further complaints yet from news articles of anything significant and notably the armour was upgraded in 2018, according to overtdefense.com, two years after its initial introduction likely to fix the problems brought up, I think it’s safe to say that overall, the armour is currently working out.
Finally, we come to the helmet. The British Army currently uses the Virtus helmet which replaced the Mk7 Helmet. The helmet allows easy mounting of night vision goggles, mandible guard, visor, and includes a counterweight to help keep the neck comfortable, the helmet can be easily adjusted for size just like a bicycle and climbing helmet can.
The helmet is also designed not to interfere with body armour and carried equipment while lying in a prone position. The Virtus Helmet also includes increased protection at its sides and the Helmet is lighter than the previous Mk7 Helmet, increasing comfort and agility.
Communications within the British Army
The ability of communication is extremely important on the battlefield, active war zones, and during missions and operations amidst hostile and difficult environment allowing superior organisation and efficiency. We already had a look at the Personal Role Radio used by individual troops, but the entire communications infrastructure is far larger in scale and is broken down into Digital Communications, Tactical Communications, and Satellite Communications. All three include voice, data, satellite link, and landline communication types, much of which is also integrated among each other.
Digital Communications
One of the most modern types of communication on the battlefield, the British Army website states the importance of the flow of increasing amounts of information in extremely complex environments to continue without interruption and also without disruption and exploitation by the eneny. One of the British Army’s digital communications system is called Falcon, a joint tactical trunk communications system for the Land Environment, which replaced the former Ptarmigan system.
Falcon uses Internet Protocol technology enabling high capacity, tactical, and formation level secure, communications system used by various divisions and brigades of the British Armed Forces.
BAE Systems describes the communication system as one of the most advanced available, calling it the difference between winning or losing information superiority in one of its fact sheets. The system is also highly adaptable and able to work with numerous other communications systems, making it effective for working with multi-national and coalition partners. It can inter-operate with things like SKYNET and Bowman systems as well.
BAE Systems calls Falcon a key element of the networked battlefield with it allowing high capacity voice, data and video communications over a common Wide Area Network (WAN), naturally it can also be used over a local network when needed. It can also provide a secure link back to the UK if needed.
Falcon is also faster to setup compared to older systems as it replaces older fragmented systems with one integrated system. This also means less manpower is needed to be deployed to the frontlines and costs are reduced. It is also able to be easily pre-configured and quickly setup even in the most hostile environments according to BAE Systems.
It is also apparently easy and hassle-free to transport the system.
Of course with anything going across the internet you will also want as good encryption as can be implemented, but even the strongest encryption can still be cracked by a determined adversery who has enough time and resources. That is always the risk and no communications are foolproof from potentially being compromised by enemy intelligence.
BAE Systems says that Falcon uses the Internet Protocol in a ‘highly secure way’, although that gives us relatively little information on how it does this. But it is true the way in how the Internet Portocol works makes such communications more resilient to interference attempts from electronic and physical attacks, aiming to disrupt or knockout communications rather than compromise the information itself.
Falcon uses dynamic intelligence to adapt to any attempts at physical or electronic attacks by re-routing through different nodes if others have been taken out by enemy operations, enabling important information to still reach its intended recipients with relatively little disruption in time.
So for the enemy when it comes to the Falcon, its largest weakness would likely be compromising its data by attempting to crack the encryption security being used. I will assume that Falcon likely uses the best currently available encryption that exists, as that would make sense for something as sensitive as military communications.
Tactical Communications
Tactical communications include radios used by the British Army, which currently use the Bowman family of radios which include HF, VHF, and UHF voice and data communications from formation headquarters forward to fighting units. Bowman uses the latest radio and computer technology, making them fit for modern purpose.
The Bowman radios, which replaced Clansman, provide integrated digital communications that network interface with higher level systems as well as with ISDN, Skynet V, Cormorant, and Falcon communication systems. The voice and data communications are secure according to the British Army’s website and include integrated GPS systems.
Tactical communications are essential to carrying out objectives on the battlefield and amongst hostile environments, without it communication would be chaotic and unreliable. Enemies will often aim to attempt to disrupt tactical systems via electronic and radio inteference as well as by physical attack to try and send communications into dissaray and gain the upper-hand – although with the presence of digital communications as explained earlier this is not as effective in the modern day.
Bowman does also include countermeasures against such attempts at disrupting communications, such as measures against electronic attacks via a frequency-hopping spread spectrum.
The Bowman radio gives secure and integrated communications (both voice and data) to dismounted soldiers, individual vehicles, as well as command headquarters. Integrated voice and data encryption provides Bowman radios with security, although as said before encryption can still be cracked by an determined enemy with enough time and resources, which is why it is important to keep up to date on encryption at all times.
GPS is also integrated into the system to help prevent friendly-fire and increase overrall situational awareness. The Bowman system really is the backbone of the British Army’s ability to be cohesive on the battlefield and deployments.
It has been announced that Bowman will eventually be replaced by a next-generation tactical communications system known as Morpheus, promising to be an open and modular system, giving improved access to modern IT systems and a simplified user experience. The open approach of Morpheus aims to allow new technologies including radios and apps to be quickly integrated to the new system, in a bid to tackle emerging threats and improve interoperability with allies.
Satellite Communications
Communication via satellite links is both modern, highly strategic, and efficient, the provision of the British Army’s tactical satellite ground terminals is responsible to the Royal Signals. There are three satellite communication systems and services currently used by the British Army.
One is the Small Satcom, which is made up of SWE-DISH CCT-120 satellite ground terminal which is owned by Paradigm. Small Satcom uses the Skynet5 network enabling it to provide usage worldwide. Small Satcom is lightweight, able to be transported in an airframe, and can be setup by a trained operator in under half an hour.
Reacher is a system/service that provides the cornerstone of satellite communications terminals for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense. Reacher provides various services via robust and secure communication links. There are three variants of the Reacher terminals, large and medium terminals can be mounted on the Mowag Duro 3 vehicle. The other variant is a Royal Marine terminal.
Then Skynet V is a service that owns and manages satellites in orbit and controls satellite ground stations. The Skynet V private finance initiative itself also provides the Reacher and Talon satellite ground systems, among others. Skynet V enables the capability of extending in-theatre systems which include the Falcon and Cormorant systems, as well as others, providing interoperability between different communication systems and as such more effective overall communications.
Weapons
Weapons used by soldiers include small arms and support weapons such as the SA80, grenades, heavy machine guns, and guided missiles.
SA80
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First of all, we have the SA80 which are currently the standard combat weapons used by the British Army, specifically the SA80 A2, which include Individual Weapon and Light Support Weapon variants. SA80 is a grouping of what the British Army website calls ‘revolutionary’ assault weapons and have been in use since 1985. The British Army website also says that on the introductory testing of the weapon it was so accurate that Army marksmanship tests had to be re-designed. The weapon is also highly versatile and ergonomic.
The weapons are produced by Heckler and Koch, one of the most well-known weapon development companies in the western world. These weapons use NATO standard 5.56 x 45mm ammunition. The website goes on to say the variants used by the British Army have been modified through the gaining of operational experience, which includes a major update in 2002 which created the SA80 A2 series, which they laud as the most reliable weapons in the world.
The length is 785mm with a barrel length of 518mm, and 5.56mm calibre. The weapon weighs 4.98kg with fully loaded magazine (feeds a 30-round magazine) and optical sight attached. The muzzle velocity is 940 meters per second, a cyclic-rate of 610-775 rate per minute, and an effective range of 400 meters.
The SA80 also comes with an underslung grenade launcher called the AG36 40mm grenade launcher manufactured by Heckler and Koch, and comes with an EO Tech Holographic and an ISTEC range drum. The grenade launcher has an effective range of 350 meters, and it is low recoil, easy to use, ammunition is reduced in weight, and a grenade can be chambered ready for use while being able to actively fire the SA80 without catastrophic consequences. It weighs 1.12kg, has a 76 meter per second muzzle velocity, and a cyclic-rate of 5-7 per minute.
The grenade launcher is currently fielded with Practice and High Explosive ammunition natures. Six of the grenade launchers are distributed per platoon for increased flexibility and weight of fire. There are future considerations to add fire control systems, extended range ammunition, and buckshot rounds which would allow usage in close-quarter battles.
The SA80 A2 is set to be eventually phased out by the upcoming SA80 A3 which will be more precise and accurate thanks to a new handguard that supports the upper receiver, the gun will minimise infrared and visual spectrums, and is better resistant to abrasion.
The SA80 has faced much criticism and reported problems in the past and was plagued with initial production issues which threatened the operational future of the SA80 series with possible replacement. One such early problem reported is that the weapon’s magazine would often drop out when the user bumped it against their body, due to there being no guard around the magazine’s release catch. The gun was also designed only with right-handed users in mind, making it difficult to use for those left-handed. The gun was seen as unreliable in semi-automatic mode. The gun was also easily damaged as well, the catch over the gas mechanism would also need to be taped down as it would otherwise often pop-open. And suppressive fire was unreliable due to small-capacity magazine and the barrel overheating, among other issues.
More so while being used in the harsh climate of the Middle East there were reports that dust could cause the gun to become jammed, which could be very life threatening for the soldier in question, with them no longer having a working weapon that was best-effective for the current situation they were in.
All of the complaints led to the commissioning of the LANDSET Report which concluded by criticizing the weapon’s entry into service and identified dozens of faults with the gun. Although this report was initially denied by the MoD after it was leaked to the press, they eventually admitted it was real, but despite this still didn’t take it seriously until some years later, leading to the A2 upgrade.
The upgrade to the A2 variant fixed many of these initial issues, although there have still been some complaints. But generally, the majority of opinions on the A2 upgrade have been positive and with the upcoming A3 upgrade on the way the operational future of the SA80 family seems to have been assured for now, although uptake of the weapon by foreign armed forces and security services is lacking.
Glock 17
But what about the so-called secondary weapon? as those who play shooter games may be wondering. The British Army use the Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol, more specifically the Generation 4 variant. The Glock 17 replaced the previous Browning pistol, of which the Glock 17 is lighter, has increased accuracy, and holds 17 x 9mm rounds, 4 more rounds than the Browning pistol.
The Glock 17 first came into service in 2013 and replaced the previous Browning L9A1 which had been used for over four decades. The Glock 17 is also lighter, its safety mechanism has been designed so that the gun can be drawn and fired faster than the Browning, and the gun also has the ability to mount gun lights and laser pointers.
Worldwide the Glock 17 is seen as universally reliable and has very little complaints or faults. The Glock series of weapons itself has been widely adopted around the world by armed and security forces owing to its prestige and reliability.
The Combat Shotgun
Next up… close quarters weapons. Something I myself always disliked while playing shooter games were shotguns, since they could easily kill you off-guard in one hit. The website calls it a Combat Shotgun but does not give the specific name, but I believe it is probably the L128A1 Combat Shotgun, also known as the Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun. It is semi-automatic, and is a tubular magazine-fed weapon using a 12-gauge 18.4mm cartridge.
The shotguns operating system is called the Auto-Regulating Gas Operated Twin System, twin meaning it uses two gas pistons, the system includes a rotating bolt head and dual locking lugs. The shotgun also comes fitted with an EOT tech sight enabling use day or night, and also fixed iron sight, and it also has a telescopic buttstock for better accuracy. The weapon cannot be fired while squatting, but can fire in all other conventional positions.
There is a rail on top of the weapon that allows various attachments such as scopes, lasers, and flashlights.
The shotgun is 1,010mm in length when the buttstock is extended and 886mm when it is closed. The weapon ways 3.8kg, effective range is 130 meters for solid shot and 40 meters for buckshot. The shotgun has a 7-cartridge magazine.
Many civilian users have complained that the extendable buttstock is either too long when extended or too short when retracted, but the military version avoids this issue as it has three different extensions rather than just two. Overall, the weapon is received positively within the military and is also used by the United States, Italy and other countries armed forces and security services owing to its reliability.
L115A3 Long Range Sniper Rifle and L96
Moving on to more specialised weapons we have rifles, and the British army uses two types, sniper rifles, and sharpshooter rifles.
The first is the L115A3 Long Range Sniper Rifle. In the British Army snipers are vital on the battlefield for intelligence gathering, identification of targets, and taking out any high-value targets that have been discovered and identified. The L115A3 is part of the Sniper System Improvement Programme, of which the first were deployed in Afghanistan in 2008 and so they are relatively new and modern, replacing the L115A1/A2 and the L96. The Programme also includes night sights, spotting scopes, and laser finders for better accuracy and identification, and tripods for better accuracy.
Improved sight and tactical supressors with the L115A3 also enabled it to remain hidden while firing in the dust and darkness.
The L115A3 is a large-calibre weapon and includes state-of-the-art telescopic sights which work day and night and within all weather conditions, which greatly helps to increase the effective range of the weapon.
The L115A3 is designed and manufactured by Accuracy International, it has heavier bullets than the L96 (8.59mm to the L96’s 7.62mm) which is also less likely to be deflected over very long distances. The L115A3 weighs 6.8kg and is 1,300mm in length, muzzle velocity is 936 meters per second, has a 5-round box feed, and an effective range of over 1,100 meters, which is better than the L96 and much more effective in the current environments they were used in, such as Afghanistan, and enabled British soldiers to much more easily outrange insurgents and keep an edge.
The L115A3 uses a Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 PM II day scope which is much improved from scopes used by the previous L115A1/2 and L96 sniper rifles. As can be guessed attachments can be fitted to enable usage in the dark.
One difference on the L115A3’s made for the British Army that may be noticed is the presence of a fluted barrel, which are not usually available on other issues of the L115A3 made by Accuracy International as they feared it could interfere with the accuracy of the sniper rifle.
The L115A3 is also superior in its ergonomic design, being easy to handle and hold, and naturally has soldiers handling it in an efficient manner, which helps with general accuracy.
A British Army sniper currently holds the record for the longest sniper shot in history using the L115A3 in 2009 at a distance over 2,400 meters, taking out two Taliban machine gunners in Afghanistan.
The L115A3 has been praised for its accuracy and reliability and as one of the most advanced and effective sniper rifles currently around.
There was also the L96A1 Sniper Rifle, manufactured by Accuracy International, older than the L115A3, but still provided a first-round hit 600 meters effectively, and was able to harass enemies up to 1,100 meters away, it was later improved with a x3-x12 x 50 sight and spotting scope for better accuracy and identification, this was done specifically following mounting complaints from soldiers using the weapons in Iraq, where the original scope was generally less than adequate. The gun uses 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges in a 10-round box magazine.
The L96 is referred to as a pioneer for modern sniper rifles and was the first military-issued sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International. It was also one of the first modular sniper rifles enabling the gun to be easily taken apart, which was good for ergonomic reasons and also enabled damaged parts to be replaced far more easily, making it a lot more efficient and reliable. It originally used a Schmidt & Bender PM 6×42, but as already mentioned above the scope was later improved, and also altogether surpassed by the scope used by the current L115A3 sniper rifle. Scopes could be switched between L96s without little issue, such as without really having to spend time refocusing the scope.
But the gun was not without its issues, with one particular big issue being the L96’s firing pin, which would commonly break when in use which then meant the gun could no longer fire its shots. The firing pin would break due to cheaper production changes by another company that Accuracy International had outsourced towards as AI at the time was not large enough to have the production capacity for the number of sniper rifles ordered by the British Army. The firing pin issue was also serious due to the force of ejection when the pin broke and was fired out of the gun, which could strike soldiers using it causing injuries.
This problem put the L96’s future in jeopardy as the British Army begun considering going back to its older sniper rifle, but luckily Accuracy International took over full production of the weapon and remedied the issue, and the company it had outsourced to, known as Pylon, eventually went out of business.
The monopod fitted on to the back-underside of the L96 was also a bit difficult to retract again if it had been extended for use, but this issue was not immediate and so wasn’t improved until manufacture of future sniper rifles.
The L96 has been phased out since 2014 and there are only now a very limited number left as the Ministry of Defense destroyed the vast majority of their L96 Sniper Rifles and disposed of them.
L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle
Next is the semiautomatic L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle, the website says this weapon class has improved long-range firepower on the frontlines. It uses the same rounds as the L96 and its accuracy is better enhanced for engagement in longer-range firefights. The website also says it is used by some of the best shots in the infantry. It weighs 4.5kg, and has a 20-rounds detachable box magazine.
The weapon has been in service since 2010 and was introduced to enable effective engaging of enemies, such as in Afghanistan, as fighters there used small arms that would outrange the British soldiers own assault rifles and light machine guns, which was not expected as studies anticipated that most militaries small arms entering into the modern era post World War 2 would be no more than 300m, of course this outlook neglected unconventional armed forces such as terrorist groups. The L129A1 is able to engage effectively up to 800 meters and therefore counters such longer-ranged small arms used by insurgents. The weapon features an ACOG 6×48 scope for long-range targeting, and also includes a reflex scope with this for close quarters targeting. The weapon also has an extendable stock and bipod.
The weapon is either used in a marksman role or has also been used by spotters a part of a sniper team. Spotters use a modified variant of the L129A1 which uses a 3-12 x 50 sniper scope made by Schmitt & Bender instead of an ACOG scope (usually used by marksmen), but the sniper scope also includes the option for close-quarters targeting similar to the ACOG scope, and the spotter variant also includes a surefire suppressor. The British Army have also been pursuing ammunition with armour-piercing capability for this variant of the weapon, increasing its effectiveness in the sniper-support role.
It really is a weapon for the modern-day War on Terror. One fun fact is that the weapons were held by security forces within helicopters during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The weapon is manufactured by the Lewis Machine and Tool Company.
L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun and Minimi Light Machine Gun
The British Army’s main General Purpose Machine Gun is the L7A2, manufactured by FN Herstal, which is a 7.62mm x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun. The weapon, which has been in service for over five decades but still remains effective, can be used as a light weapon, but is usually used in a sustained fire role. When being used in a sustained fire role the weapon is operated by two men in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support, in such a role the weapon is mounted on a tripod and has a C2 optical sight fitted. In this mode it puts out 750 rounds per minute up to an effective range of 1,800 meters with reliable precision at such long ranges.
When used in a light machine gun role it is used along with a fold-out bipod. Many Army vehicles and some helicopters in the British Armed Forces have these General Purpose Machine Guns mounted on to them. Light mode effective range is 800 meters. Cyclic rate of fire is 750 rounds per minute.
The gun includes a 50-round belt magazine, is 13.85kg, is 1,230mm in length when in light mode, with barrel length of 629mm. Muzzle velocity is 838 meters per second, it can use a 100-round disintegrating link belt.
The British Army also used the Minimi Light Machine gun and was often used over the L7A2’s light weapon capability, although the Minimi has started to be phased out since 2018. The weapon is manufactured by FN Herstal and uses 5.56x45mm disintegrating belt fed 100-200 round box, firing 700-1150 rounds per minute up to an effective range of 800 meters. It is lighter than the L7A2 and therefore more effective in a light role and can be more efficiently used in a single-man role.
The L7A2 on the other hand is actively used by the Parachute Regiment of the British Army in Afghanistan and since 2018 its usage has begun to be widened over that of the Minimi, with precision fire being favoured at longer ranges, which is where the Minimi falters and becomes less accurate, only being good for suppressive fire at such longer ranges. Over-long and long-term sustained usage of the L7A2 in drawn out battles can lead to the barrel melting, but this issue is avoided by bringing spare barrels along with the L7A2 when needed. Outside of this easily avoidable issue, the gun is still seen as one of the best machine guns that exist, despite it being so old now.
These General Purpose and Light Machine guns would have also been used to more effectively engage the extended small arms ranges beyond 300 meters used by insurgents in Afghanistan instead of using assault rifles which are less effective in the scenario, but the usage of GPMGs and LMGs for such purposes is no longer required with the introduction of the L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle we went over previously, and so the GPMG and LMG can be reserved for their usual roles.
LMGs themselves are also largely being phased out by GPMGs which have become more adaptive to also acting as an LMG whenever required, so basically a 2-in-1 sort of deal.
L1A1 Heavy Machine Gun
If you thought the above sounds heavy rather than light, well just wait until you see the British Army’s actual Heavy Machine Gun. They use the L1A1 12.7mm .50 HMG, manufactured by FN Herstal. It is an updated version of the Browning M2 50-cal, which the website notes is recognised as one of the finest heavy machine guns ever made. The Browning M2 itself has numerous different variants, with several of them used across the British Armed Forces branches, often mounted on to vehicles both on the ground and in the air, for defense and ranging.
It provides important close-range support, and is either used from a ground-based mounted tripod or is fitted on the Army’s Land Rovers using the WMIK and comes with a variety of sighting systems. Recent additions have included a new soft mount to limit recoil and improve accuracy, and a quick-change barrel which prevents the used barrel from overheating and melting when in long-term usage.
The weapon is great at taking on enemy vehicles, including those with light armour, and can also be used to take on low flying aircraft, as well as light fortifications. The gun is highly flexible and adaptable, able to be used in numerous ways.
The M2 Browning itself has existed since 1933 but numerous updates through the decades have kept the weapon in service for numerous countries around the world, most significantly and visibly for NATO member countries. The fact the weapon has managed to stick around for such a long period of time goes to show how well received the weapon is and how reliable many users see it.
The weapon weighs 38.15kg, has a length of 1,656mm and a barrel length of 629mm, 12.7mm calibre, 915 meters per second muzzle velocity, and a 50-round disintegrated belt feed. Its effective range is 2,000 meters and a large cyclic rate of 485-635 rounds per minute.
Grenade Machine Gun
The British Army also use grenade machine guns, which is the Heckler & Koch 40mm Grenade Machine Gun (which the British army called the L134A1 GMG), and what the British MOD website calls an unrivalled infantry suppression weapon that combines the best characteristics of heavy machine guns and light mortars that would otherwise be used in such a role. It is a very modern weapon and first came into operation for the British Army in 2006 after calls for a gun similar to a Heavy Machine Gun but with explosive output behind its shots, in Afghanistan it has been used to far more easily counter insurgents armed with AK weapons and RPGs, in defense of airfields and forward operating bases.
By combining the suppressive force of the Heavy Machine Gun and the explosive power of a Mortar, it avoids problems with conventional rifle ammunition not providing a fragmentation affect making them largely ineffective against advancing armoured infantry vehicles and battle tanks, and avoids the problem of mortars having a relatively low rate of fire. So, in essence, the grenade machine gun combines the advantages and eliminates the disadvantages. The Grenade machine gun as well as firing lethal fragmentation rounds, can also fire other types of grenades such as smoke grenades for example.
This weapon is usually mounted on WMIK Land Rovers but can also be fired from ground-based tripods. The weapon weighs 28.8kg (lighter than both the currently used Heavy Machine Gun and Mortar), is 1,090 meters in length with a barrel length of 415mm, uses 540 x 53mm cartridge, a 32-round disintegrated belt, muzzle velocity of 241 meters per second, and an effective range 1,500 meters, but can also harass enemies up to a further 2,200 meters away.
The weapon can also have various advanced optics and targeting systems, as well as a fire control system computer, also called the ballistics computer, attached on to it to make it more accurate, deadly, and destructive than it already is. It really is one of the most advanced pieces of weaponry currently used by the British Army.
Practically one of the only complaints you’ll see about this beast is people saying – “does the Army really need something this destructive?”
Mortar
Like many military forces of the world the British Army uses mortars when needed, their main current mortar is the L16A2 81mm Mortar which is known as a Battlegroup level indirect fire weapon. This mortar is able to provide both accurate and high-explosive, smoke, and illuminating rounds up to an effective range of 5,650 meters. It requires at least three soldiers to operate it.
The particular Mortar used by the British Army has been in service since the mid-1960s but has managed to remain relevant, although it could be we’ll see it used less and less with the growing presence of Grenade Machine Guns, although Mortars like this even then will likely be kept around due to their superior range, although this range is more suppressive than precise, but then so that is also the purpose of the Grenade Machine Gun – suppression of the adversary.
Mortar platoons that are within mechanised and armoured infantry battalions have their mortars mounted on and fire from armoured personnel carriers, which provides to increase mobility, rapid disengagement and movement to new fire positions. The Mortar itself weighs 35.3kg, and has a barrel length of 1,280mm, a muzzle velocity of 225 meters per second and a 4.2kg HE L3682 feed.
Although the Mortar is a number of decades old it has received some upgrades through its lifetime to keep it relevant, such as a GPS Receiver and Target Locating Equipment to make the Mortar more accurate and increase their efficiency during missions. Further upgrades are expected in the coming years, such as improvements to the lethality of the ammunition against structures, enemy equipment, and armoured targets. So, it would seem there is no plans to retire this old boy just yet.
The Mortar can be quickly dissembled and reassembled to move it, usually it is moved via ground vehicle (such as an APC) or helicopter, but can also be carried by two soldiers when dissembled.
One of the dangerous parts of using Mortars is that Mortar-bomb stockpiles can explode, such as if hit/targeted by enemy fire, which then can cause a chain reaction that may seriously injure and kill friendly soldiers. But there is ammunition being worked on to reduce the chance of this reality taking place, such as Insensitive Munition Mortar-bombs currently being developed by BAE Systems, designed in such a way to reduce the risk of chain reaction explosions.
There are also two other Mortar-bomb munitions currently in development, Precision Guidance munitions which are Mortar-bombs with GPS technology literally built into them that will allow Mortar-bombs already fired to be course-corrected, making them even more accurate and able to correct a number of mistakes in the initial firing. The other are Preformed Fragmentation munitions, basically bigger boom, bigger Area of Effect, more destruction.
The Mortar can also use Infrared Illuminating rounds, because although normal Illuminating rounds are good, they can also backfire and inadvertently compromise the friendly troops positions, meanwhile the Infrared Illuminating rounds largely eliminate this possibility and instead help to enhance the ability of night vision equipment to see the enemy, now that’s pretty impressive.
This Mortar type has wide usage by forces of numerous countries worldwide owing to its long-standing success and reliability.
Guided Weapons
Finally, the British Armed forces also have a variety of guided weapons, both the main ones being the anti-tank Javelin and NLAW missile weapons.
Javelin
First up the Javelin is a medium-ranged anti-tank guided weapon which replaced the previous Milan in 2005. The British Army’s Javelin is an enhanced version of the American variant, America’s Javelin proved its effectiveness on the fronts of Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon is specified for taking out tanks and light armoured vehicles, but can also take out fixed defences such as bunkers and buildings, and is not limited by the weather or time of day. The British version includes a more effective sight system as well as a tripod for firing and observation.
The Javelin includes an integrated sight which allows an operator to lock on to a target and then fire, with no further monitoring required as the missile will guide itself to the target, since it does not need to be monitored the operator can quickly move on to other targets or move to a different position. It can be used in overfly and direct attack operational modes. The weapon is good against armoured vehicles as the weapon plummets down on to it from above, hitting the vehicle typically where its armour is weakest. In the direct attack mode, it is great for assaulting and penetrating enemy fortifications.
The Javelin is operated by two, the firer, and a controller or observer, who commands the weapon and assists with loading, identification of targets, and damage assessment on the battlefield. The weapon weighs 24.3kg, is 1.39m in length, and has a velocity of 150 meters per second, and an effective range of 2,500 meters.
The warhead used by the weapon has two stages of detonation which is designed in such a way to penetrate reactive armour and then base armour. The weapon is lighter than older missile systems and also more easily dissembled and reassembled, making it more efficient. The weapon is also incredibly accurate and has a successful impact rate of over 90%, I guess letting a targeting computer do all the work rather than manually controlling the rocket like in previous systems is clearly superior.
Since the weapon also does not need to be monitored or manually controlled after firing the operator/s are generally safer as they can more quickly hide or take cover without being compromised, which was a stronger possibility with previous missile systems. Furthermore, soldiers firing the weapon, and those nearby, are also safer as the missile is soft-launched first before properly firing off, this means the missile does not ignite first in the firing tube, meaning there is minimal backblast, which can cause injuries, this also means the weapon can be fired from structures far more safely and without the needed pre-preparation first, making it far more efficient.
The weapon only has some drawbacks such as the weight of the weapon, although it is lighter than previous systems, that doesn’t mean it still isn’t heavy, and so that can lead to some minimal logistical issues and possible injuries from carrying/using the system. The thermal optics used by the weapon is also an impact to efficiency as there needs to be a period of waiting after having fired so the thermal optics can be cooled sufficiently.
NLAW
The British Army also uses another type of anti-tank guided missile known as the Next-Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon or NLAW for short, manufactured by Saab Dynamics, and has been in service since 2009 replacing the previous LAW-80 system. The website calls it the first non-expert, short-ranged, single-soldier, anti-tank missile which means it is easy to use and only requires one operator (the Javelin is best with two operators although it can be fired by a single operator, but it is more difficult and cumbersome with one operator), it can apparently knock out any main battle tank very quickly in just one shot, where the missile strikes from above, similar to the Javelin. The weapon can be ready to fire within 5-seconds making it highly efficient.
The weapon includes predicted line of sight guidance and also features overfly top and direct attack modes, as well as night vision optics, and so it can also be used against fortifications. The weapon is best suited for light forces operating dismounted in any environment and climate conditions, even built-up areas, since the weapon is also soft-launched similar to the Javelin it can be safely used in enclosed areas. It has an effective range of 600 meters which can be pushed up to a maximum range of 1,000 meters, weighs 12.5kg, is 1,016mm in length, has a 2.5x magnification optical sight, and has a shelf-life of two decades.
The weapon is clearly based on the Javelin having the same attack modes and capabilities, although this missile system is far lighter but also has far less of an effective range. It is also a disposable weapon whereby the weapon is fired a single time and is then disposed of, quite simply put.
Thank you for reading this first part on the equipment and weapons used by the British Army. Next up will be the section on all the vehicles used by the British Army, and then after that we shall go on to the British Air Force and then Navy.