Tag Archives: SLR

The L1A1 still serves, in Montego Bay at least

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Governor-General of Jamaica His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, ON, GCMG, CD, KSt.J inspects the Guard of Honour platoon furnished by the First Battalion, the Jamaica Regiment.

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is a descendant of the old British West India Regiment which dates to 1795 and the Jamaica Regiment consists of two light infantry battalions (1JR and 2JR) with a 3rd battalion made up of reservists.

While the force is constituted on a British Army model, their standard infantry arm is the M16A2 (and wear a MARPAT field uniform) though there are some second line units with the 1980s SA80 (L85) Enfield rifles.

Guard of Honour, furnished by The First Battalion The Jamaica Regiment (1 JR), — note the L1A1s

You will note, however, that the honor guard (and 3JR as a whole) still uses the old L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), the standard semi-auto inch pattern FAL adopted by the Brits in 1954. When the British replaced theirs in frontline use in the mid-1980s, they were forwarded over to Kingston– where they replaced even older WWII-era No. 4 SMLE .303s.

Jamaican soldiers training to fire the FN FAL in 2002.

1 Engineer Regiment (Jamaica Defence Force) recently deployed on Ceremonial Guard Duty at the National Heroes Park, note they have M16s

The SMLE’s did not go to waste, however, as they were passed on to the constabulary.

Jamaica Constabulary Force armed with No.4 SMLEs

Oz Selling 150 M60s and SLRs to Museums and Vet Groups

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Military rifles and machine guns on offer toRSLs and museums for preservation

 

 

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today released a Request for Offer (RFO) for up to 90 L1A1 Self Loading Rifles (SLRs) and 40 M60D Machine Guns.

 

The items will be open for sale to museums, returned services associations, military heritage and other historical organisations as exhibits for static display. 

 

“These military weapons have played an important role in our history, and it is important that they are preserved,” Minister Clare said.

 

“The M60D Machine Guns were fitted to Iroquois helicopters during the Vietnam War.

 

“The SLRs were also used in Vietnam by most field units of the Australian Army. 

 

“More recently they have been used in a ceremonial role by the Australian Federation Guard.”

 

A number of these items will also be retained within Australian Army History Units and the Australian War Memorial.

 

All items must be demilitarised as a condition of sale.

 

Copies of the Request for Offer are available through the AUSTENDER website tenders.gov.au with reference DMOFD/RFO183/2011 for the M60D Machine Guns and reference DMOFD/RFO184/2011 for the SLRs.

 

Queries relating to the RFO documents should be directed to the AUSTENDER helpdesk by phone: 1300 651 698, or email:

tenders@finance.gov.au. 

 

Queries in relation to the offer can be made to the Defence Disposals Agency at

disposals@defence.gov.au  or phoning on 02 9393 2914.

 

The Request for Offer will close on 17 January for the M60D Machine Guns and on 23 January for the SLRs.

 

Media contact: Korena Flanagan – 02 6277 7620