FN SCAR-H PR precision rifles start equipping French infantry regiments
According to Laurent Lagneau, in December 2020, the French Army had indicated that the first SCAR-H PR [Precision Rifle] sniper rifles had just been delivered by the Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal to the 14th Material Support Base [BSMAT], then responsible for controlling their quality and taking them into account in logistics management before distributing them to the regiments.
The FN SCAR-H PR was chosen a year earlier by the French General Directorate of Armament (DGA), following a call for tenders launched to replace the FR-F2 rifles then in use. The distribution of SCAR-H PRs to infantry units has started. The regiments of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (27BIM, 27ème Brigade d’Infanterie de Montagne) are among the first served.
However, the 16th Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pied (Battalion of Hunters on Foot), the 2nd Armored Brigade, received its first SCAR-H PR before the 13th BCA (Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins).
The SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) is a family of gas-operated (short-stroke gas piston) automatic rifles developed by Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal (FN) in 2004. It is constructed with modularity for the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to satisfy the requirements of the SCAR competition. This family of rifles consists of two main types: the SCAR-L, for “light”, is chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge and the SCAR-H, for “heavy”, is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. Both are available in Close Quarters Combat (CQC), Standard (STD), and Long Barrel (LB) variants. PR stands for “Precision Rifle”.
The FN SCAR-H PR precision rifle for the French Army is being delivered with Schmidt & Bender optics, sound suppressor, bipod, carrying bag, and sets of accessories.
The contract for the FPSA program includes the acquisition of 2,600 Semi-Automatic Precision Rifles, 1,800 IL rifle scopes, 1,000 thermal imaging systems, and 6.3 million of 7.62×51 mm ammunitions. The Belgian company OIP Sensor Systems supplies the night vision optics.
The FPSA program was launched by the French army to replace the old FR-F2, currently, the standard sniper rifle of the French military since 1986. The FR-F2 is an upgrade from the earlier FR F1 sniper rifle. It was manufactured by MAS (an abbreviation of Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne, one of several government-owned arms factories in France).