Austeyr
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| F88 Austeyr | |
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 F88 Austeyr |
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Austria |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1993 - present |
| Wars | East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Steyr Mannlicher |
| Designed | 1977 |
| Manufacturer | ADI |
| Produced | 1988— |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.6 kg, empty |
| Length | 790 mm |
| length | 508 mm |
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The F88 Austeyr is a derivative of the Austrian designed Steyr AUG assault rifle. The F88 replaced the SLR L1A1 in 1988, the L1A1 is also a derived design of the FN FAL. The first non Special Forces unit to be issued with the F88 was 6RAR, who received them in January 1989.
The F88 is manufactured under licence to Steyr Mannlicher AG by Australian Defence Industries (ADI), in Lithgow, New South Wales, and has been sold to the armed forces of Australia and New Zealand among other countries.
Contents |
[edit] Variants
The Australian Defence Force uses several F88 variants:
- F88: Standard 5.56mm F88 Austeyr rifle with 1.5x magnification scope and 508mm barrel, similar to the Steyr AUGA1 but with a bayonet-lug under the barrel.
- F88C: The Austeyr F88c is a Carbine version of the regular F88 which has a 407mm barrel (10cm shorter than the standard issue F88). The F88C is generally used as a personal defensive weapon where space is an issue, such as in armoured vehicles. It is also issued to reconnaissance units and 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR).
- F88S: The Austeyr F88s have a picatinny rail in place of the standard optic sight to allow the attachment of various other sights (such as night vision or high-quality long range sights such as the Elcan C79 Wildcat, ACOG or Aimpoint). This version of the Steyr is notorious amongst Australian infantry soldiers because the rail is uncomfortably close to the cocking handle; this feature frequently results in knuckle injuries after prolonged use[citation needed].
- F88 GLA: This version of the F88 differs from the standard models as it features an Inter-bar interface (replacing the foregrip and bayonet lug), allowing the user to attach a M203PI Grenade Launcher. It also has a quadrant sight to which a Firepoint red dot sight is attached.
- F88T: ADI has developed a .22 calibre training rifle for use by the Australian Army. The weapon provides an economical training alternative, with very low ammunition cost, which can be used in environmentally sensitive training areas and ranges where 'over shooting' is an issue. Also used by the Australian Defence Force Cadets.
- F88A4: ADI’s Austeyr F88 A4 will incorporate multiple picattinny rails for the fitting of legacy systems such as the M203 P1 40mm grenade launcher assembly (GLA) as well as both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and military off-the-shelf (MOTS) sighting and numerous additional battle enhancement accessories. also it must be noted that the A4 has only been bought in limited numbers (reportedly only 10 units) for testing purposes.
The F88 Austeyr is still in use today by all services of the ADF and some police tactical units, such as the Northern Territory Territory Response Group. It is also used by the New Zealand Army.
[edit] Potential Future replacement/upgrade
The Advanced Individual Combat Weapon is currently in development, as a replacement for the F88 Austeyr , with possible service by 2010.
