Steyr rifle is not suitable for stressful situation.
A member of the elite Special Air Service Regiment says the main rifle used by the Australian army is unsuited for modern combat and could put a soldier in danger.
The soldier, who says he has spent 20 years in the SAS and is on his eighth tour of Afghanistan, says the Steyr rifle is awkward to use when wearing some body armour, has sight problems and is difficult to reload or unblock when under stress. The anonymous special forces warrant officer has a long article on the rifles in this month's edition of the Australian military magazine Contact.
In it, he argues the Steyr should be dumped as the military's main battle weapon. "The Steyr requires a more difficult magazine change under stress as well as diverting the operator's eyes for a longer period while reloading, taking away valuable awareness of what is happening around him," he says.
"The size of the butt on the Steyr is not conducive to good weapon placement into the shoulder, especially with body armour. This affects sight alignment, eye relief, cheek weld and a stable firing position with the weapon in the shoulder."
He warns the rifle, which most Australian troops in Afghanistan use, cannot be switched between the right and left hands easily, which could put a soldier at risk in close combat situations.
"There are a raft of other reasons, however, I will leave it there," he said. "But our soldiers, particularly our infantry, could be far better served with a new, improved, personal primary weapon system."
The Steyr's suitability has been debated fiercely within the Australian Defence Force since its introduction in the mid-1980s and many soldiers have long argued the weapon is too fragile and prone to accidental discharges because of its trigger design.
Australian special forces such as the SAS and commandos refuse to use the Steyr and use the M4 - the rifle of choice for the US Army. The Defence Department has begun a study to replace tPost too long. Click here to view the full text.