The British Ministry of Defense has signed a contract to provide new carbines for special forces and Royal Marines soldiers. The contract worth £90 million includes the purchase of Knight's Stoner 1 (KS-1) carbines, which will receive the military designation L403A1. The new design is superior to the old L85A3 carbines with reduced light and sound signature when fired, better sights and ease of adjustment for right- and left-handed shooters.
Knight's Stoner 1 carbines were intensively tested by the Royal Marines during training exercises in Norway.
The Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) system was manufactured by Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S) as part of the Hunter project. In addition to the carbine from the Knight's Armament Company, the set includes a scope with a micro-reflex sight and a sound suppressor.
The initial contract for the supply of 1,620 AIW kits is worth £15 million, with an option to increase the order to up to 10,000 rifles over the next ten years, for a total sum of £90 million.
Source: forces.net
