SYDNEY, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A grenade launcher from Austria's Steyr Mannlicher has been selected by Thales Australia for use on a rifle being developed for the Australian Defense Force.
The SL40 grenade launcher is a light weight, side-opening grenade launcher with a double action trigger, lever-operated safety catch and 7-inch barrel.
Thales said the launcher can be integrated seamlessly with all EF88 rifle variants and can be fitted in seconds by soldiers in the field without special tools.
The EF88 is being developed for Australia's LAND 125 program, with an F90 export range complementing the offering.
The SL40 will also be available as part of the Thales F90 offering.
Additional details of Thales' preferred selection of the Steyr Mannlicher SL40 were not provided.
Thales Australia also announced that it is seeking expressions of interest from international companies to supply surveillance and target acquisition system ancillaries for the EF88 rifle system. The equipment would be fitted on the rifle by means of the STANAG 4694 rail system.
Analysis and testing of the equipment will occur this year.
