“We want to supply the next British assault rifle.”

At ENFORCE TAC 2026, BERETTA DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES UK is presenting the NARP, which is being introduced in Italy and is set to become the new standard assault rifle in the UK. We asked BDT UK Manager Jack Cadman what makes the NARP the ideal weapon for the British.

SPARTANAT: In the UK Project GRAYBURN is a selection process for the British Army's future assault rifle. Armies are very conservative also with rifles, but why is it time for the SA80 to go?

Jack Cadman: The SA80A2 has served the British Army for decades and has been progressively improved over time. However, it was originally designed in a very different strategic and technological era. In a period of financial pressure, there is naturally scrutiny around the 2030 out-of-service date. However, the question is not simply cost extension, but long-term operational credibility.

The modern battlefield places greater emphasis on modularity, suppressor use, optics integration, signature management, and adaptability across varied operational environments.

The SA80 architecture does not lend itself easily to controlled calibre evolution, modern modular upgrades, or long-term spiral development. There are also structural design constraints, including ergonomics and configuration limitations, that are difficult to resolve without fundamental redesign. The cost of sustaining and modifying a legacy system increases over time and can become economically inefficient compared to investing in a platform designed for the next 20–30 years.

Project GRAYBURN is therefore not simply a rifle replacement. It is an opportunity to modernise capability while re-establishing sovereign small arms manufacture and through-life support in the UK.

SPARTANAT: BDT UK is even entering two rifles in Project GRAYBURN: the Beretta NARP and the SAKO ARG. The former will be introduced in Italy, the latter in Finland. Which one should the British Army decide on, and why?

BDT UK is in the unique position of submitting two mature, in-service next-generation platforms: the Sako ARG and the Beretta NARP.

Beretta’s NARP has been developed in close collaboration with the Italian Army and Special Forces, with a focus on lethality, reliability, ergonomics, modularity, and durability across varied operational contexts. Sako’s Arctic Rifle Generation family was launched in 2025 and developed in cooperation with the Finnish and Swedish Defence Forces, with reliability in extreme environments at its core. Both platforms are proven and designed with long-term configuration control and evolution in mind.

Ultimately, the correct decision rests on alignment with the British Army’s operational requirement, sustainment model, and future development pathway. BDT UK’s focus is to ensure that whichever platform is selected is supported by a credible UK manufacturing and through-life delivery model.

SPARTANAT: AR15 systems and their variants are extremely popular at the moment. Why are they enjoying such success? What makes the NARP, a further development of the AR15, even better?

AR-15 systems remain popular because the architecture is modular, adaptable, and capable of continuous improvement over time. The platform allows integration of optics, suppressors, and accessory systems without requiring complete redesign.

Beretta’s NARP builds on this architecture with a short-stroke gas piston operating system and rotating bolt. It supports multiple barrel lengths and calibres within a common receiver architecture. The rifle incorporates fully ambidextrous controls, a non-reciprocating charging handle, and a two-position gas system for both normal and suppressed configurations.

The design emphasises durability, component-level serviceability, and field stripping without specialised tools, In defence programmes, the differentiation is not simply the platform type, but the engineering discipline, testing, and through-life support model behind it.

SPARTANAT: What does BDT offer the British government if it decides to purchase one of its weapon systems?

In 2001, the Royal Ordnance Nottingham Small Arms Factory closed, and the UK lost its large-scale sovereign small arms manufacturing capacity.

At DSEI UK last September, BDT UK launched its Land Industrial Strategy, outlining a roadmap to establish a strategic partnership with the MoD for UK-based small arms manufacture. The strategy sets out a structured approach to re-establishing sovereign manufacturing capability, including realistic assessment of workforce, cost, and investment impact.

BDT UK has signed an MoU with Cambridge Precision, a British engineering firm, under which key rifle components would be manufactured in the UK if the GRAYBURN bid is successful. The objective is not assembly alone, but manufacturing, assurance, configuration control, and through-life support within a UK industrial framework.

Beyond the initial rifle requirement, BDT represents a broader small arms portfolio, including sniper systems, optics, and ammunition. Project GRAYBURN could act as the anchor for a longer-term strategic partnership, supporting UK capability development over decades.

SPARTANAT: The NARP is now the flagship of BERETTA DEFENSE. Are there additional countries that are candidates for the NARP?

The NARP was developed in close collaboration with the Italian Army and Special Forces. It is now being fielded within Italy, reflecting its role as a next-generation national platform. As with any modern military system, interest from other nations follows proven in-service adoption and operational credibility. Export discussions are always governed by national licensing regimes, policy considerations, and the priorities of the sovereign customer. Where sovereign manufacture is established, export must remain subordinate to domestic delivery, configuration control, and assurance capacity. 

JACK CADMANN:

• Jack Cadman is the Military Group Manager for BDT UK and a former British Army officer.
• He leads UK Ministry of Defence engagement for Beretta Defence Technologies’ military portfolio.
• His focus is on strategic industrial partnership, sovereign manufacturing capability, and long-term delivery credibility in support of Project GRAYBURN.