HK G28E - The Irish Defence Force's New Designated Marksman Rifle

The Irish Defence Forces have procured the Heckler & Koch G28E. The G28E is a 7.62x51mm NATO semi-automatic designated marksman rifle (DMR). A notice on the EU tenders website announced, on 22 September, that Heckler & Koch has won the tender to provide the Irish Defence Forces' new DMRs. No further details were publicly provided at the time of the tender notice.

However, given the typical characteristics of a DMR - an accurate, 7.62x51mm-chambered, semi-automatic rifle, its likely that Heckler & Koch's G28 has been selected. H&K have an existing relationship with the Irish Defence Forces, providing Ireland's standard service pistol - the HK USP and the HK GMG automatic grenade launcher. Ireland's Army Rangers also field the HK416 and the HK417 (in both rifle and DMR configurations).

Ireland's Defence Department launched the procurement effort for a new 'Designated Marksman Rifle/ Sniper Support Rifle and accessories' back in June 2024. A request for information was launched for the procurement of up to 374 rifles and accompanying equipment. The procurement was then listed with a value of up to 8 million Euros.

TFB reached out to the Irish Department of Defence for comment on the new procurement and a spokesperson for the department responded:

“Following a competitive tender process conducted in accordance with national and EU regulations, a contract has been awarded to Heckler and Koch to supply rifles and telescopic sights to the Irish Defence Forces.

The tender response from H&K was found to offer the best value for money overall and met all the technical requirements as set out in the tender documentation.

The rifles and sights, which are expected to be delivered next year, will be primarily used by Land Component forces deployed on Aid to the Civil Power operations, overseas peace support operations, and conventional military operations.”

TFB also spoke to Heckler & Koch about the procurement, they noted:

"Heckler & Koch is proud that the Irish Defence Forces, a highly respected international user, have once again placed their confidence in HK by adopting additional systems to meet their operational requirements. This continued commitment reflects the proven quality, reliability and operational performance of our systems in service.

We are proud to support the Irish Defence Forces and look forward to strengthening our long-standing partnership, delivering trusted capabilities that meet the demands of their personnel and operational missions for many years to come."

Intriguingly, at the end of September, an HK G28E was seen briefly - but prominently, in a Facebook reel celebrating the commencement of a new officer cadet training intake. The rifle, seen in the hands of a female cadet, during the commencement ceremonies for the Irish Defence Forces' 103rd cadet class.

The rifle seen in the clip was in the typical G28E configuration with a RAL800 finish, a quad Picatinny Rail (rather than the recently seen G28 MLOK handguard) and a Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 DMR scope - still with manufacturer sticker! The scope is topped with an Aimpoint red dot sight.