part 2
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is therefore probably on the verge of extinction, at least with the federal police. It is currently the most widely used submachine gun by the German police authorities. It is used, for example, in hostage, amok or terrorist situations. In 1977, police officers from the GSG-9 special unit used the MP5 in the Somali capital of Mogadishu to free the Lufthansa plane “Landshut” that had been hijacked by Palestinian terrorists.
In 2018, the federal police had their MP5 extensively retrofitted. Among other things, the weapons received new sights. The costs amounted to around three million euros. There were also costs for adapting the transport and storage systems and for retraining the emergency services who operate with the MP5.
In view of the age of the MP5 of up to 30 years and the comparatively low penetration of the weapon, retrofitting was questioned even then. The federal police, on the other hand, confirmed that the MP5 was “reliable” and met the requirements. "After the upgrade, it will remain so for many years," said a press release from the authority. The attachments could “reused in the future”.
Federal police defend the retrofit
The Federal Police evasively answered the question of whether the expensive retrofitting was not a mistake in view of the replacement that is now planned. "The conversion of the MP5 served to upgrade this weapon system," said a spokesman for the authority. "The application value could thus be significantly increased."
On request, however, the federal police admitted that a number of the attachments retrofitted at the time could "no longer be used" after the planned replacement of the MP5. Only the retrofitted target optics can continue to be used "if they meet the current requirements of the Federal Police".
As early as 2016, the GdP called for the MP5 to be replaced in favor of new medium-range weapons. The expensive "pretty" of the old submachine guns brought little. "In my function as a staff councillor, I really tried everything to prevent this," said trade union spokesman Steffen Ludwar. With the introduction of the new police rifle, the medium-distance weapon, the GdP requirements would now be met. “The federal police are on the right track here,” said Ludwar.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is aware of the Federal Police's plans for replacing the MP5, as the authority informed this editorial team on request. According to a spokesman, the financing is to be “taken from the budget funds allocated to the Federal Police”. However, no information can currently be given on the amount of funding for individual investments.
