According to the German online newspaper Zeit and other sources, including The Firearms Blog, the German Ministry of Defence has selected the weapon to replace the Heckler and Koch G36 rifles:

The manufacturer C.G. Haenel won the tender to deliver 120.000 MK556 rifles to the Bundeswehr (German army), a contract worth about 245 million euros, or € 2,042 per rifle. The exact configuration of the weapons and accessories with which they are equipped has not yet been confirmed.

Heckler and Koch participated in the tender with the HK-416 and HK-433. During the bidding process that began in 2017, C.G. Haenel introduced a weapon that, in extensive testing, was somewhat better adapted to the requirements of the German army and also proved to be more economically advantageous.

A third company – Sig Sauer – has withdrawn from the current tender. In addition, the Haenel rifle beat the RS556, Rheinmetall and Steyr Mannlicher. It should be noted that Haenel already supplies the German Army with RS-9 sniper rifles (G-29 in German service).

The intention to replace the G-36 was announced in 2015, while the relevant tender commenced in April 2017. The G-36 entered service in 1996, but its use in hot environments, such as in Afghanistan, resulted in its overheating and the loss of accuracy during shooting.

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