UZI and it's adoption in Europe

[Brother in Arms]

Many people know the UZI. It is as ubiquitous as peanut butter and jelly and it is well known that that it hails from Isreal. The 1960's-1980's were truly it's hay day. But what many people don't know is many countries in Europe adopted it. You always see it in old twilight pictures so I thought Id put it back in the spotlight for a moment.

Royal Netherlands Army
adopted it in 1956 with unique fixed wooden butt stock that is longer than the Israeli model.

Germany Bundeswehr
adopted 1959 knows in as the MP2 with wooden butt stock, and the MP2A1 with folding steel stock, It was put into reserve status in 1985 when it was replaced by the MP5

Croatia
Stronjicka ERO apparently all made of stamping no polymer, somewhat heavier than original otherwise similar. Though this arm may not exist in the original twilight 2000 for various reasons.

As a sidenote
Rhodesia made the UZI under licence from 1976-1980

Brother in Arms

[waiting4something]

While I was in Kuwait in 2002, some German MP's got off a bus with UZI's. I was amazed to still see it in use to say the least.

[B.T.]

Brother in Arms,
I cannot confirm your info. I served from 1985 to 1986 in the regular German forces as Panzergrenadier/Jäger. As MP we used solely the MP2A1 (with folding stock). Noone that I talked to in the following years had an MP5 as weapon. From all I know, the MP5 was used by specialized units only (KSK, Kampfschwimmer, Feldjäger und Fernspäher). The German Wikipedia lists weapons of the Bundeswehr. There it says, the Uzi remained in service up to 2002.

Here's the Link. Unfortunately it's all in German, hope Info is still usable!

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_d...der_Bundeswehr

[Brother in Arms]

B.T

Thanks for the information! And You are probably correct about the MP-5 being issued to special forces units.

I found a pic from 2001 showing the UZI being used in training

http://olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_smg_uzi.php

Brother in Arms

[waiting4something]

From my time in Kuwait in 2001-2002, the German MP's also brought with them a few MP-5K's. I can only guess this was for VIP protective services for concealing under a sports coat. I didn't see any full sized MP-5 submachine guns though.

[Schone23666]

For what it's worth, in 1999 or so while I was stationed at Spangdahlem AFB in Germany, a convoy of Bundeswehr trucks stopped at our base, carrying who I believe were reservists. At least one of the truck drivers I saw had an UZI slung on his shoulder.