SIG is angry: No rifle for the Bundeswehr

SIG Sauer will not submit an offer as part of the current Bundeswehr tender for the procurement of a new assault rifle.

The company is reacting to what it perceives as competitively disadvantageous wording in large parts of the tender. The technical requirements of the tender are so clearly and specifically tailored to the competitor Heckler & Koch that SIG Sauer does not believe it has a chance to win the contract.

This is surprising given that the decision to procure a new assault rifle for the Bundeswehr is mainly due to alleged precision deficiencies of the currently used G36 rifle from this competitor.

And as "just a sacrificial lamb," the company does not want to risk its good reputation.

Tight time frame - lack of ammunition

The available time for submitting the offer is clearly too short to provide a competitive sample weapon. Companies that are not already suppliers to the Bundeswehr are clearly disadvantaged, according to a company spokesperson.

This is especially true for the test of the rifle with the desired ammunition. This test is a crucial detail for a successful evaluation of the weapon in terms of the specific requirements for desired ammunition compatibility.

SIG Sauer was initially promised access to the type of ammunition used by the Bundeswehr 1 ½ years before the start of the tender, but then this access was suddenly denied.

Suppliers who are already Bundeswehr suppliers with such ammunition clearly have an advantage in the tender.

Discrimination against US products

Finally, the blanket discrimination against US products and bidders is also surprising. For the first time in the assault rifle tender invitation, the "ITAR Freedom" of the products has been defined as an undifferentiated exclusion criterion. ITAR is a US regulation that is intended to control the trade in weapons, arms, and defense goods. This exclusion criterion applies even to mere supplies and even if the weapon is produced in Germany.

As a result, all manufacturers with even minimal US connections are excluded from the tender.

In the preliminary competition as well as in the tender for an assault rifle for the Bundeswehr's special forces earlier this year, this "KO criterion" had not been mentioned at all. It raises suspicions that allowing several participants in the preliminary competition is intended to create the impression of a genuine selection decision among multiple bidders.

Need for fair competition

SIG Sauer fundamentally sees itself in a good position to score in a Bundeswehr tender.

"We have very modern and competitive products and have been successful in fair tenders in Germany and abroad," says SIG Sauer CEO Franz von Stauffenberg. "SIG Sauer would be a great asset as a supplier to the Bundeswehr. But we will not participate in a tender whose conditions and handling are clearly tailored to a competitor, even if it is difficult for us," criticizes von Stauffenberg the tender process.

SIG Sauer on the internet: http://sigsauer-le.comIt doesn't always have to be the Bundeswehr. SIG Sauer is successful with the German police. HERE is the SPARTANAT report on the procurement of the MCX by the Berlin State Police.  And brand new in Schleswig-Holstein.