On April 10, 2025, the Austrian Ministry of Defense officially delivered the first units of the Sturmgewehr 77 A1 MOD Nightfighter assault rifle to the 3rd Jäger Brigade during a ceremony held at the Raab barracks in Mautern. This delivery marked the initial implementation phase of a wider modernization effort involving Austria’s standard assault rifle, with modifications optimized specifically for night combat. The program includes the parallel distribution of 4,000 night vision goggles produced by the company Theon. The total cost of the investment amounts to €70.7 million, with €10.7 million allocated to the rifle modifications alone.
The Sturmgewehr 77 A1 MOD Nightfighter is a modified version of the Austrian Army’s standard-issue Steyr AUG-based rifle, originally adopted in 1977 under the designation StG 77. The Nightfighter version incorporates new components that increase its operational utility under night-time conditions. The rifle is equipped with two optical systems: an Aimpoint Micro T2 red dot sight with twelve brightness settings—four of which are compatible with night vision devices—designed for engagements up to 200 meters, and a 3× magnifying scope installed below the red dot, extending effective targeting out to 400 meters. The optics are mounted on an upgraded receiver with a Picatinny rail system.