German gunmaker Heckler & Koch, owned by a descendant of Napoleon, is competing to supply the British Army with its next standard-issue rifle under Project Grayburn, a programme expected to be worth around €500mn to replace the SA80. The company, which has a Nottingham-based facility and recently acquired a British gun components manufacturer, aims to offer up to three options, including an upgraded SA80 and the HK416—chosen by the German Bundeswehr in an €800mn deal. Heckler & Koch plans to supply between 150,000 and 180,000 rifles.

CEO Jens Bodo Koch emphasized the weapons’ deep ties to British history, citing images of Margaret Thatcher, the SAS, and Lady Diana with H&K firearms. He acknowledged H&K’s higher cost but stressed its focus on robustness, precision, quality, and endurance. Rivals include FN Browning Group, Beretta, and Sig Sauer.

Founded in 1949 in Oberndorf am Neckar by Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, and Alexius Seidel—former Mauser engineers—the company has a complex ownership history, including periods under Royal Ordnance and BAE Systems, and past sanctions over exports to Mexico.