The G36 replaced the G3 as the main infantry weapon of the Bundeswehr in 1997, a process that is now considered complete. Heckler & Koch started designing the G36 in 1990. The Bundeswehr needed a replacement for the 1950s vintage G3 that would be cheaper than the proposed G41 and G11. Two earlier Heckler and Koch designs, the revolutionary G11 (it was designed to fire caseless ammunition) and the more conventional G41, were both rejected in 1989 due to the end of the Cold War. Heckler & Koch HK416 On September 15, 2020, the Bundeswehr initially selected the Haenel MK 556 to replace the HK G36 as their new service rifle, but after alleged irregularities in the selection process an investigation was launched. The BAAINBw concluded in 2021 that "The rifle offered by Haenel infringed the patents of other businesses", which resulted in their exclusion from the procurement procedure. As the competing offer from H&K was not excluded so far and was deemed by now as "more economically advantageous" the contract was awarded to Heckler & Koch in favor of the HK416 A8. See also British military rifles References Rifles of Germany