Colt Canada has unveiled a futuristic rifle for the country’s soldiers that’s being touted as a smart system that can automatically engage targets.
The weapon, equipped to fire 5.56 ammunition, was inspired in part by a “Halo” video game, the New York Daily News reported.
Called the Next Generation Bullpup Prototype, the rifle was made for Defense Research and Development Canada, the newspaper reported. It’s been in the works since 2009, after military officials demanded a lighter and more adaptable weapon than the Colt C7, the rifle of choice for Canada’s armed forces.
The bullpup feeds the magazine into the rifle behind the trigger — as opposed to in front of it — and is prototyped as a short weapon with capacity to carry a three-round, a 40-mm grenade launcher or a 12-gauge shotgun, the New York Daily News reported.
“In the medium term, this weapon concept represents a lethal, flexible general-purpose platform, Lt. Col. Serge Lapointe of the Soldier Systems of the Canadian Army, said in a statement. “It will be able to operate in all theaters of operations in the most complex terrain including urban areas, mountains, jungles, deserts and the Arctic.”
Colt Canada’s plans also call for smart technology to be implemented on the weapons, which will — when perfected — help engage targets, the New York Daily News reported. It’s not clear when the military will adopt the new rifles, which were just showcased by Colt Canada in a video.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.