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There have been a number of questions about the appearance of a mysterious rifle in official photos released by the Canadian Army during testing of a new camouflage uniform pattern at the military’s base in Petawawa.

The tan rifle, seen in the background of one of the photos, sparked debate about whether the weapon was the Colt Canada MRR. Defence Watch readers also asked questions about the reason the weapon was being included in the test.

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The rifle is indeed the Colt Canada 5.56mm MRR and they were issued to some of the troops during the test, the Canadian Army confirmed.

The rifles were being used for the environmental tests for the new uniform camouflage as part of the SOCEM (Soldier Operational Clothing and Equipment Modernization) Project, not for weapon functionality or consideration, the Canadian Army told Defence Watch. The aim is to assess the impact of tan equipment on the overall soldier camouflage efficiency, the Army added.