Brits Using HK416?

I know that a small number of Royal Marine units use M16s and the SAS (and their new counterpart unit) use Diemaco carbines but this is new to me: apparently a regular squadie using what I suspect is an HK416:



I say I suspect because it has what I think is the same buttstock (different to both the RM's M16s and Their Diemacos), it has an HK HG36 grenade launcher and Britain has had dealings with HK in the past (SA80 upgrades, AG36 etc). I suspect it's just a trial that they do occasionally when a new rifle comes out to see if it's worth investing in (G36, F2000 et rejected a couple of years ago) but iit might be in more general use - I will try and find out.

Sorry, the BBC don't seem to do large versions of their in-article images

It's a Royal Military Police close protection officer.

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How can you tell? I don't see the red MP patch that they usually wear:



And I don't see any other insignia, though I might just be going blind in my old age

Not sure how you can determine it is an HK416 from that picture...

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I did explain in my first post.

Well, the only AR rifles that I know of in service with British forces don't look like that (different buttstock amongst other things) so this is a new gun which means it's possible it's an HK416. Of course, it's also possible that it's any one of the dozens of other ARs out there. However, virtually all of the recent smallarms purchases by the MoD have come from HK - SA80A2, UGL, MP7 etc (the only exception I can think of is the magnum versions of Accuracy International's AW rifles). Also, the other AR rifles in service are fitted with M203s (or Canadian copies) but this one is fitted with an HK launcher.

As I say, I have no proof at all that this is an HK416, it just lead me to wonder.