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Thales upgrades Austeyr rifle to meet ADF operational needs

29 October 2008

The upgraded Steyr, known as the F88SA2, will provide greater capability to ADF personnel, particularly for current operations, while filling a short term capability gap.

The F88SA2 is an evolutionary step towards the LAND 125 - Lethality objectives for the F88 family of weapons. Thales and the DMO recently signed a contract to deliver the initial design and production prototypes for the enhanced F88 Austeyr integrated rifle system under LAND 125. Design qualification and production are planned for implementation in later stages.

Demonstrating the strategic significance of the Thales Soldier Systems Development and Support Centre at the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow, NSW, for in-service support, the F88SA2 upgrade will be accomplished through Factory Thorough Refurbishment (FTR) of existing weapons. Deliveries of the upgraded Steyr to the DMO will begin in early 2009. Technical improvements in the F88SA2 include a larger Picatinny Rail on top of the weapon, a modified sight housing, and a side rail mount for torch and Night Aiming Device (NAD). The colour of the weapon has also been changed to reduce the recognition signature. The colour choices follow extensive work by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, and allow the weapon to blend in more effectively with both the environment and the user's uniform.

Thales has successfully conducted FTR work on the standard F88 and the F88SA1 since 1998. The company also carries out FTR activities on 13 other ADF weapons, from 5.56mm to .50 Calibre.

The F88SA2 contract has built-in flexibility to respond to both the changing tempo of ADF operations - with operations-related activities taking top priority - as well as the varying conditions of weapons sent to Lithgow for refurbishment. Thales's FTR processes adapt to these conditions, ensuring the Commonwealth only pays for work done and parts consumed.

About Thales

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of AUD19 billion.

Thales Australia is the leading defence systems and engineering company in Australia and is also present in civil sectors ranging from air traffic management to security systems and services. Employing 3,700 people in over 35 sites around the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues in 2007 amounting to over AUD1 billion.