A new korean rifle

[evripide]

Korean Army revealed a new rifle....

this is an article from the Korean Herald - koreaherald.co.kr

The Army will next year begin use of a rifle capable of firing bullets and high-explosive grenades with a single trigger, a state-run weapons developer said yesterday.

The combined rifle/grenade launcher, tentatively named the XK-11, was developed in Korea and is the world's first weapon of its kind, the Agency for Defense Development said.

The XK-11 is capable of firing both 5.56mm ammunition and 20mm high-explosive ammunition through a single trigger with which the user can decide on the type of ammunition to employ.

"This is will be the next generation combined rifle that will stand as the world's first precision-guided high-explosive ammunition launcher," the ADD said.

A distinguishing feature of the XK-11 is the system which allows the rifle to trace its quarry and detonate 20mm ammunition three-four meters above the target. This feature will help effectively attack clustered or hidden targets, the ADD said.

The XK-11 was developed according to weapon development plans established in 2000.

The Army decided to deploy the new combined rifles following an eight-month evaluation test confirming their suitability for combat.

The Korean military currently uses indigenously made K-2 and U.S.-manufactured M-16 rifles as personal weapons.

By Kim Ji-hyun

(jemmie@heraldm.com)


2008.07.29

[evripide]

and the weight is 6.1 kg.

and a test video for the rifle.

http://dory.mncast.com/mncHMovie.swf?movieID=10014608520080728143249&skinNum=1

[Eeshaan]

There's a very strong resemblance & similarity to the American OICW programme here lol. But please correct me if I'm wrong.


Also, is it not a little too heavy for an assault rifle ?

[Human Bass]

It is heavy, but the koreans managed to make it lighter than the american OICW. Well, if you consider that a loaded AK-47 is roughly 5kg, one more kg for a neat grenade launcher isnt that bad.

[lobbie111]

It is heavy, but the koreans managed to make it lighter than the american OICW. Well, if you consider that a loaded AK-47 is roughly 5kg, one more kg for a neat grenade launcher isnt that bad.

except it was proved that the 25mm grenade round was the only viable caliber for a grenade, are they developing new 20mm rounds for this perhaps?

Looks to me like they have just cut the top off an M4

[Chino]

In the context of being a squad support weapon, it is not that heavy, IMO. But I hope the biggest guy is carrying it and it would not be very good for clearing rooms.

[lobbie111]

In the context of being a squad support weapon, it is not that heavy, IMO. But I hope the biggest guy is carrying it and it would not be very good for clearing rooms.

Thats actually a decent addition to a fire team if we take in on the basis of the Australian unit which = 3x3 men to a fireteam +1 officer

Each fireteam keeps the minimi
and the soldier in the fireteam with the M203 replaces it with this
Not bad

(I only know about the composition of australian sections, but I may have stuffed it up anyway :hehe)

[Chino]

Anyone with any military experience in whichever army will agree with the satement: "anything that can go wrong - will go wrong".

Good luck to someone with computerised weapon.

Furthermore, a 40mm grenade only has a 5m fragment radius. One wonders how much damage a 25mm airburst grenade will do to troops wearing head and body protection.
...

Singapore's STK is making/trying to make a similar product using 40mm Air Bursting Munitions together with a onboard FCS computer thing. (I'm not sure if it has gone past mockup stage but they showcase it a lot internationally.)

[lobbie111]

Anyone with any military experience in whichever army will agree with the satement: "anything that can go wrong - will go wrong".

Good luck to someone with computerised weapon.

Furthermore, a 40mm grenade only has a 5m fragment radius. One wonders how much damage a 25mm airburst grenade will do to troops wearing head and body protection.
...

Singapore's STK is making/trying to make a similar product using 40mm Air Bursting Munitions together with a onboard FCS computer thing. (I'm not sure if it has gone past mockup stage but they showcase it a lot internationally.)

That goes with just about everything that statement, the military is no exception :lol3


I believe the 25mm incorporated tungsten in its design, I will try to find the info for it, yeah it was on the forums the other day, very odd looking design doubt it will go anywhere.

[Cutaway]

Its just South Korea's take on the OICW programme, But looks somewhat better balanced and less bulky etc.

[usgn]

Anyone with any military experience in whichever army will agree with the satement: "anything that can go wrong - will go wrong".

Good luck to someone with computerised weapon.

Furthermore, a 40mm grenade only has a 5m fragment radius. One wonders how much damage a 25mm airburst grenade will do to troops wearing head and body protection.
...

Singapore's STK is making/trying to make a similar product using 40mm Air Bursting Munitions together with a onboard FCS computer thing. (I'm not sure if it has gone past mockup stage but they showcase it a lot internationally.)

If u r refering to the STK 40AGL with FCS + air bursting HV40mm munitions, it's a different class of weapon (is a crew served weapon)and it had long gone the mockup stage, it's now a ready weapon system..However, in 2004 Asian Aerospace, a mock up of such similar weapon (5.56mm coupled with 3 x 40mm LV rds) was displayed, if that was the one u refering to...

The korean design was towards Soldier System as in OICW in the 90s by US Army...during that time, it was hailed as the 'Future Infantry Weapon' but.....

[Chino]

If u r refering to the STK 40AGL with FCS + air bursting HV40mm munitions, it's a different class of weapon (is a crew served weapon)and it had long gone the mockup stage, it's now a ready weapon system..However, in 2004 Asian Aerospace, a mock up of such similar weapon (5.56mm coupled with 3 x 40mm LV rds) was displayed, if that was the one u refering to...

The latter was what I was referring to. It is the still experimental 40mm/5.7mm SSW (Squad Support Weapon). Not 5.56mm, but the 5.7mm PDW calibre.

EDIT:
I served in the Singapore military, so, no, I wasn't talking about the AGL.

[F-15 Eagle]

This thing just like the OICW is just way too big, bulky and flat out ugly to be an assault rifle. And why chose 20mm or 25mm? I mean there is a whole world of more powerful 40mm ammunition out there. I would not expect this project to go very far and it will most likely end up the way the American OICW did.

[Chino]

The STK attempt at a OICW but using 40mm ammo look even less acceptable. The result is the SSW which is huge clumsy monster and makes either the Korean or US OICW look petite.

The merits of the 20 or 25mm and the 40mm ABM needs more study.

People always feel that a bigger bang must be better. This may be true for everything else but not always the case for infantry.

[usgn]

the 40mm coupled with SSW program was just a feasibility study back in 04.....While STK HV40AGL ABM crew served weapon is ready and have conducted several oversea live firing.

[Marc 1]

The STK attempt at a OICW but using 40mm ammo look even less acceptable. The result is the SSW which is huge clumsy monster and makes either the Korean or US OICW look petite.

The merits of the 20 or 25mm and the 40mm ABM needs more study.

People always feel that a bigger bang must be better. This may be true for everything else but not always the case for infantry.

20mm would be fine - if you can fire a projectile which will airburst over a target hiding behind cover that's a damn good thing. Sure you probably won't kill the target (helmet and body armour will maybe prevent that), but spraying a prone soldier's legs, butt and arms with fragments will certainly lower his morale. 20mm won't replace the 40mm - there would still be a requirement you'd think for one or 2 per platoon, but as a personal weapon, that looks OK.

Is the loaded weight 6.1 kg's? If so that's not that much heavier than a loaded SLR that everyone used to carry.

[John Sansom]

Hats off to Chino for remembering the PBI as the end user of "newly designed" weaponry that holds the promise of mind-boggling maintenance complexities in the field. As an instance, perhaps we should remember that the AK-47's simplicity and brutal effectiveness are the qualities which still make it almost inordinately popular (and useful). Perhaps weapons designers should be looking back while they reach for the future in their work.
No, I am not suggesting we return to muzzle loaders, although.... But I am suggesting that the more complexities we build into hand-held infantry weapons, the greater the risk of disaster at the platoon and section levels when things get hot and heavy.

Hey, just sayin'.