Canada has awarded Colt Canada a contract to deliver 65,402 new assault rifles under the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle program, replacing the long-serving C7 and C8 platforms after more than three decades of use. The rollout will occur in two phases, beginning with 30,000 general service rifles over a three-year period, valued at approximately 307 million Canadian dollars. The second phase, scheduled from year four, will include 19,207 additional general service rifles and 16,195 full-spectrum variants tailored for combat roles.
The Department of National Defence stated that the new rifles will improve troop lethality, protection, and situational awareness, with full integration and engineering support included. Colt Canada is expected to ensure around 80 percent domestic content, with ammunition also manufactured within the country. Procurement is being managed through a risk-based model, as highlighted by Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr.
The outgoing C7 and C8 rifles, introduced in the 1980s, have been widely deployed in operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The C7 features a 40-inch length, 20-inch barrel, and weighs 3.3 kg, firing 5.56×45 mm NATO rounds at up to 950 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 945 m/s. The more compact C8 measures 33 inches, weighs 2.6 kg, and uses a shorter 14.5-inch barrel, delivering similar performance with a slightly lower muzzle velocity of 870 m/s.
