The G36 is an assault rifle developed by Heckler & Koch, which has been used by the Bundeswehr as an ordnance weapon since 1997. The predecessor of the G36, which is mainly made of plastic, was the G3, also developed by Heckler & Koch, which was the Bundeswehr's ordnance weapon from 1950 to 1997. In some cases, the G3 is still used as a sniper rifle because it is particularly accurate for an assault rifle. The G36, on the other hand, came under criticism because it is no longer accurate to the desired degree at high temperatures and after continuous fire.

On September 15, 2020, it was announced that a successor would be introduced for the G36, but not by Heckler & Koch but by Haenel.

At 3.63 kg empty weight, the G36 is very light for an assault rifle (by comparison, the G3 weighs just under 4.4 kg empty). The caliber of the G36 is 5.56 × 45 mm NATO, which is the military equivalent of .223 Remington, while its predecessor still came in 7.62 × 51 mm NATO (the equivalent of.308 Winchester). The 5.56 × 45 mm NATO caliber has the advantage of being very rapid (up to 1200 m/s muzzle velocity); on the other hand, the lighter weight allows the shooter to carry more ammunition, which is a great advantage militarily.

The G36 is equipped with a double optics, on the one hand it has a reflex sight so also an optics with triple magnification. The firing indirect gas pressure loader with rotary head lock can be completely disassembled in a few simple steps.

The G36 is a military weapon and not intended for the civilian market. Heckler & Koch offers the SL8 as a civilian version of the G36.