Estonia’s State Defence Investment Centre (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus, RKIK) has returned a batch of precision rifles to US manufacturer LMT Defense due to critical malfunctions, Estonian national state broadcaster ERR reported.
According to the ERR, a batch of 7.62 mm calibre rifles purchased from the US through the RKIK showed unacceptably low accuracy during tests.
The deviation of hits from the aiming point at a distance of 300 metres was up to 30 centimetres, which did not meet the declared characteristics of high-precision weapons, it said.
A manufacturing defect was found in the rifles’ gas system, which is responsible for reloading after firing. All the weapons were sent to the LMT Defence factory in the United States for repair and control measurements to ensure compliance with technical requirements, ERR noted.
Earlier Estonia announced its intention to strengthen its military potential by 3.6 billion euros in cash equivalent.
