Colt to rebuild 25000 Dutch assault rifles

The defence ministry signed a contract with the Canadian firm Colt to rebuild Dutch assault rifles. "From end-2009, all Diemacos will among other things have a rapid focus device, a front grip with bipod and an adjustable butt. Colt, formerly Diemaco, will rebuild all 25,000 weapons, making the military action under diverse conditions safer and easier, according to the ministry. "For specific functions, extra adaptations will also be made," such as laser targeting. The Canadian company has supplied weapons, maintenance means and supplementary articles to the Dutch armed forces since 1994. "With the adaptations, the experiences built up in Iraq and Afghanistan among other things will be processed in the weapon. Fighting during these missions takes place more often in built-up areas and in less organised situations. These conditions make special demands on a weapon," said the ministry. All the Diemacos will be adapted over four years. The cabinet also definitively backed the new defence collective labour agreement (CAO) on Friday. The military will receive a pay rise of 1 percent, and their year-end bonus will go up by 1.4 percent. The CAO runs to 1 March 2010. The ministry had already reached agreement with the unions on the CAO in February. But it did not come into force, because the coalition parties were still negotiating on the economic crisis package. Although pay in the public sector is not allowed to go up in new CAOs, an exception has been made for defence.