The Ministry of Defence has refreshed plans for Project SHAMER to overhaul the UK’s sniper rifle replacement effort, expanding the scope, raising the budget, and pushing the programme back by 9 months.
The notice, published on 29 October and updated this week, confirms that the earlier February 2025 tender has been overtaken by a broader programme with a later start date and a budget that has grown from the original “£1–4 million” to an estimated “£20,000,000 including VAT.”
The February notice sought what it described as a “single chassis, multi-calibre, bolt action sniper rifle” to replace the L115A3 and L118. The new document makes clear that SHAMER is no longer a simple rifle purchase. DE&S now expects the requirement to include “Sniper Weapon Systems,” along with “ancillary equipment (e.g. suppressors, bipods, carrying systems)” and full “through-life support and maintenance.”
The technical baseline has also widened. The system must use in-service .338LM and 7.62×51 NATO, while introducing .300NM as a new calibre in UK service. The adoption of .300 Norma Magnum signals a move towards longer-range precision and closer alignment with NATO trends, something absent from the February specification.
The timeline has shifted as well. The earlier plan aimed for a June 2026 contract start, but the new notice states that “the estimated contract start date is March 2027” after a fresh tender expected in January 2026. DE&S note that “this notice is not a call for competition” and that the department “reserves the right to amend the scope and approach based on feedback received.”
The November notice stresses that it is not a call for competition and reserves the right to alter scope and approach after receiving industry feedback. That suggests the February procurement route has been abandoned, with SHAMER redesigned as a wider capability package rather than a straightforward rifle replacement.
With the L115A3 and L118 nearing the end of their serviceable lives, the need is clear. The expanded scope, new calibre requirement and through-life support package indicate a more serious attempt to modernise the sniper weapons inventory.
They only get one shot at this.
Ooooh!
I recoiled at that one!
You’re a barrel of laughs!
Bang on but don’t go off half-cocked.
Move the goalposts and delay the spending into another financial year in the hope that the money can eventually be found …classic Treasury manouverings.
Yes, but there is only so much money, courtesy of HMG.
So, what are the priorities.
If this can be delayed without financial costs escalating it seems low on the to do list? I assume the weapons used by our Snipers work well enough?
Or don’t they? Why is a new weapon needed?
To be honest it’s loose change in terms of the budget what I’m surprised at is the idea we need to replace our rifles are they really that old
Classic.
What is wrong with the existing rifles?
That’s was what I was wondering the rifle we currently use is arguably the best rifle in the world (L115a3)
It’s just age. Been in service since 2008, so they need replacing. I don’t know, but there might be no more on the manufacturing side (ie they aren’t built anymore)
As this is for the whole sniper system, we also need to factor in 20 years of sight development in both the primary, TI and II side.
Thank you.
They don’t “Dead People” with enough “Lethality” so we are “aiming” to “Dead people” with 10x the Lethality.
Got to stick with A.I. they are amazing weapons.
Grows from £1-4 M to £20 M
So far !
There hardly seems a programme large or small not being pushed back. You can’t help feeling this is the new plan, talk big talk tough but we will deal with it tomorrow. Let’s just hope Ivan’s timescale is measured in years and decades too.
Sounds like yet another plan designed to not actually spend any money.
Why do they overcomplicate the purchase of equipment?😒🤣😤