In a parliamentary written response, Maria Eagle, the UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, confirmed that the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), the L7A2, will be withdrawn from service in 2035.
L7A2 is a 7.62mm x 51mm belt-fed machine gun that can be used as a light weapon or in a sustained fire role.
In the latter form, the system is typically mounted on a tripod, fitted with an optical sight, and operated by a two-man team, firing 750 rounds per minute at ranges up to 1,800 metres.
Versions of the GPMG are mounted on most British Army vehicles and some helicopters.
The weapon has been in service with the UK Armed Forces since the 1960s. In July 2000, the parliamentary undersecretary of defence, Dr. Lewis Moonie, stated that GPMG had been scheduled to withdraw from service in 2015, yet the system is still use today.
More recently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that they are also seeking a close quarter battle sighting system for the GPMG for such scenarios, according to a public information notice from 16 October 2023.
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Despite its withdrawal in ten years’ time, the MoD has not issued a public notice or a request for information for a system that will replace the L7A2 at this time.
In contrast, the government is pursuing a range of different projects to modernise its existing arms including the lightweight assault machine gun under Project Troubler; a sniper rifle under Project Shamer; as well as their pursuit of a new assault rifle under the notable Project Grayburn.
