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It is projected that by the middle of this century around two-thirds of the world’s population will live in towns and cities The K11 basically is a combination of standard 5.56x45 mm assault rifle and overbarrel 20 mm bolt-action grenade launcher, utilising programmable high explosive grenades and fire control system. The idea of such weapon comes directly from the abandoned American XM29 OICW programme © Agency of Defense Development
The prototype of the MSMC (Modern Sub-Machine Carbine) submachine gun fed by 5.56x30 mm cartridge developed by the Indian R&D facility ARDE. The first trials of the MSMC were held in 2006, then in the end of 2007, in January 2009 and final ones in December 2009. Barrel length is 300 mm, overall length 500/700 mm with buttstock extended/folded and weight 2.98Kg when empty © OFB
The K11 basically is a combination of standard 5.56x45 mm assault rifle and overbarrel 20 mm bolt-action grenade launcher, utilising programmable high explosive grenades and fire control system. The idea of such weapon comes directly from the abandoned American XM29 OICW programme © Agency of Defense Development
he People’s Republic of China is the largest – and most self-sufficient – manufacturer of firearms in Asia. China is also the only nation in the world to have decided to introduce a new intermediate cartridge across their armed forces. From the 1990s, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started to field new weapons using 5.8x42 mm ammunition, beginning with the experimental
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next element of the 5.8mm weapon system is the Type 88/QJY-88 machine gun introduced around 1999. The latest one is the Type 03/QBZ-03 assault rifle, a classic design introduced in early 2000s. It is China’s just in case weapon, because some of high ranking officers and officials are still mistrustful of bullpup designs. The Type 03 is used by second line units as well as paratroopers because of its folding buttstock. The problem with China’s system is that it in fact comprises two different 5.8mm rounds. These are the lighter DBP-87 bullet, replaced by DBP-95 loaded with a cleanerburning propellant and with a non-corrosive primer for assault rifles and carbines and the heavier DBP-88 round, for snipers and machine guns. According to the designer of the rifle family, Duo Yingxian, in 2010 China plans to show a new model, the Type 95G with improved ergonomics, heavier barrel, modified bolt and integrated underbarrel grenade launcher. The major change is ammunition – the assault rifle will be fed by the 5.8x42 mm heavy round, used in the Type 88 sniper rifle and Type 88 machine gun. The Chinese have also discovered the Picatinny mounting rail and the Type 95G will most probably use this universal rail system, which is already commercially available in China.
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bullpup Type 87 assault rifle, followed by the Type 88/QBU-88 semi-automatic sniper rifle. In the mid-1990s, the bullpup Type 95 rifle family was introduced, consisting of the Type 95/QBZ-95 assault rifle, Type 95B/QBZ-95B carbine and Type 95/QBB-95 automatic rifle. The export counterparts of these weapons use the 5.56x45 mm cartridge. The Type 95 family is now standard issue weapon for the first line units in China. The MARCH 2010
The Indian Army introduced their first 5.56mm rifle family with the INSAS (INdian Small Arms System) built in the state-owned Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) in the late 1990s. The Indian Army initially wanted to buy 528,000 rifles and 37,600 squad support weapons. The 1B1 assault rifle with 464 mm barrel and three-round burst fire option with fixed and folding stocks and the 1B2 automatic rifle with 535 mm barrel were introduced in 1998. The INSAS first saw combat in 1999 during the armed conflict in Kargil. The Army reported that the INSAS rifles had some reliability problems in that cold climate, although the OFB stated that it had fixed these malfunctions.
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