German defense minister says widely used assault rifle has no future with army in current form

German Interior and former Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere, rear, walks past German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, front, at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this June 5, 2014 file photo G36 rifles of manufacturer Heckler&Koch stand in front of soldiers in Sigmaringen, southern Germany. The widely used assault rifle has "no future" with the German military in its current form, Germany's defense minister Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, April 22, 2015, escalating a dispute over the weapon's alleged shortcomings. (Patrick Seeger/dpa via AP, File) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – Germany's defense minister says a widely used assault rifle has "no future" with the German military in its current form, escalating a dispute over its alleged shortcomings.

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said last month that a study showed the G36 rifle has a "precision problem, particularly at high temperatures." Manufacturer Heckler & Koch has questioned those conclusions, complained about a lack of consultation and accused the government of damaging its reputation.

After parliament's defense committee met Wednesday, von der Leyen said another expert report finds "the G36 as it is constructed now has no future in the Bundeswehr," though she didn't rule out the possibility of using a modified version.

The G36 is a standard weapon for the German military, which currently uses more than 166,000 of them.

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