The assault rifle G36 from Heckler & Koch, which has been the standard weapon of the Bundeswehr since 1997, has come under increasing criticism following reports from operations in Afghanistan, as the weapon is said to lose a critical degree of precision at high temperatures and after prolonged firing. After a years-long selection process, it was announced on September 15, 2020, that the G36 will be replaced in the future by an assault rifle from the company Haenel based in Suhl (Thuringia). According to current knowledge, the future standard weapon of the Bundeswehr is expected to be a version of the Haenel MK 556 .
The abbreviation MK is derived from the term "Maschinen Karabiner". The modern assault rifle, which consists largely of plastics, will be delivered in the NATO standard caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO (.223 Remington). The fully automatic gas-operated rifle is expected to have a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The civilian version of the MK556, the Haenel CR223, is already part of the extended equipment of the Saxon police.
According to media reports, the deal, which involves 120,000 units of the G-36 successor, is estimated at 250 million euros. Due to its development history, the weapon is referred to as technically similar to the AR-15 assault rifle. Haenel has been supplying the Bundeswehr since 2016, albeit in small quantities with the sniper rifle G-29.
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