London - The British government said yesterday it was recalling the standard rifle used by its armed forces for modifications after tests showed it was unreliable in extreme weather conditions. During the 1991 Gulf War British troops reported problems with the weapon jamming, a failing that was confirmed by tests in 1995.
The Defence Procurement Minister, Baroness Symons, said 200,000 of the SA80 weapons would be modified in a rolling programme at an estimated cost of £80 million.