About conceptual uncertainty in the development of military small arms in the Russian Federation
AK-74M
The need to create one or another sample of combat rifle weapons must be determined by the end user acting as the customer. It is he who, on the basis of his experience and forecast the nature of future military operations, develops tactical and technical requirements for the desired model of weapons. Next - research and development, competition, the definition of a promising model, military tests, elimination of deficiencies and refinement, setting the model for service. Only in this way can the further development of military small arms be ensured.
But the power structures of the Russian Federation, as an end user, from the beginning of 90's, without having their own distinct concept of development, took a position, the essence of which looks like this: “since everything that is available is hopelessly outdated, you do something new, and we will choose that we will like (and not choose - we will buy abroad) ... ".
This position is based on statements in the media, the subjective opinion of individual instructors of elite special forces, relying on "foreign experience", foreign athletes, almost combat sports and foreign-designed small arms, opinions of "experts on small arms" and others.
In this regard, the arms enterprises of state and other forms of ownership, in an attempt to obtain orders, have created and hastily try to create various models of small arms, including and "masterpieces of the latest computer technology." Not having orders for their products and often mistakenly assigning to their model the desired place in the small arms system of the power structures of the Russian Federation, enterprises started to independently promote them to the “market”, based on their own capabilities and concepts of morality.
As an example, you can consider the marketing actions, which are more typical for Western markets, for the promotion of Glock, Strike pistols (aka Swift) pistols and other models in the power structures of the Russian Federation.
In this case, the proposed product is declared the most "pistol" pistol, which will henceforth replace all pistols already in service. And this is despite the fact that the Yarygin pistol is already in use in law enforcement agencies, which is in no way inferior to those offered by various indicators, and by their operational durability and reliability is significantly superior to them.
Thus, almost all delays in firing from this pistol are due to the unacceptably low quality of the manufactured 9x19 Luger and 7H21 domestic cartridges. Returning to the question of already in service and newly proposed models of small arms and ammunition to them, the following should be noted.
Yarygin’s gun is already being produced in the options XYNUMXP6 with steel frame (from forged tools), 35P6-35 software with lightweight (plastic) frame and integrated picattini plate, 02PXNNXX-6 integrated frame under 35XXXXXXXXXXXXXHXXXHXXXHXXXHXXXHXXXHXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX03 under the control of 9XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX21 under the cartridge 150XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXNUMX under the cartridge XNUMXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXNUMX with the help of XNUMXXXXXXXXXXXXNUMX XNUMXXNUMX XNUMXPXNUMX; , and also ПЯ under service traumatic cartridge (XNUMX J). And this allows the user to choose the one that is most appropriate for the execution of a particular task.
Regarding the Makarov pistol, designed to ensure public and personal security, we can only note that in the next 50 years it will be indispensable in its class. It should be noted that for more than a year, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (Izhmekh) at all exhibitions demonstrates a PM with a PMM frame intended for using the 12 of the charging shop. At the same time, there is a frame with push-button fixation of the magazine, which allows using the 30-ti charging magazine, which increases its versatility and significantly expands the scope of application.
Stechkin automatic pistol 9-mm
Of particular note is the Stechkin automatic pistol (APS), which enjoys steady popularity in special forces. This gun for 60 years of use not only did not exhaust its capabilities, but did not actually open them, because so far there was no methodology for learning to fire from it in automatic mode with one or two hands, which in modern fleeting combat gives it the advantages of an assault pistol .
To replace the pistol of the concealed wearing of PSM on Izhmeh, the Bars pistol, chambered for 9x18PM cartridge with magazines for 6 and 8 cartridges, was created little inferior to it in terms of dimensions, but significantly surpassing it in the stopping effect of ammunition. But for some reason, in the promoted pursuit of visionary innovations, the truly innovative approach of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, which created the 5 (!) Of new designs, is not fundamentally overlooked in quite difficult conditions of existence.
The 9x18PM cartridge, which in 50-70% of cases shows a better stopping effect compared to the 9x19 and 9x21 cartridges, deserves high marks. This is achieved by the fact that all the kinetic energy brought by the bullet of the 9x18PM cartridge is transferred to the target, and the bullets of other cartridges pass through the target tissue and pass it only a part. It is also important that the nomenclature of 9x18PM cartridges includes high-power cartridges, with a small-bore bullet, PBM cartridges for target destruction in individual means of armor, as well as high-stopping cartridges with a lightweight bullet for anti-terror units.
Soldier with a Kalashnikov AK-12.
You should pay attention to history with an AK-12 machine gun, which is declared the most “automatist” machine gun of our time and the “changer” of all automata available in power structures of the Russian Federation. Although the most likely reason for this decision is that the special forces of the Russian power structures, as compared to the linear ones, perform a wider range of tasks and their weapons should most likely be able to accommodate additional equipment.
At the same time, the Kalashnikov assault rifle will remain the main small arms for the combatant units of the power structures of the Russian Federation in the next 50 years. And if the allegations of relatively low AK accuracy when shooting in single-fire mode are considered completely unfounded, and about the accuracy of automatic fire, be guided by the competent opinion of the veteran of the GRAU, professor of the Academy of Military Sciences, retired colonel A. A. Lovi, incompetent and far-fetched.
The situation with high-capacity stores for Kalashnikov assault rifles deserves closer attention. It is well known to all that with the reduction of distances in modern fast-moving combat high-capacity stores play a crucial role. Very eloquent about this fact speaking for itself, for some reason forgotten by many.
Beginning with 1943, more than 190 appeals were sent to the Wehrmacht command from the Eastern Front of the German troops, the essence of which was as follows: “PPSH-41 exceeds MP-38 (40) in store capacity, therefore parts of the Wehrmacht suffer defeats in battles at close distances in trenches and in populated areas, please give the army an automatic weapon with high-capacity stores. ”
At the same Izhmash in 2002, the designer Shirobokov Yu.A. as part of the development work, its employees developed and launched into production 50-i and 60-and charging stores for AK-74, as well as a new horizontal store of high capacity drum-type chambered for 7,62х39. These stores, when using certain methods of firing training, dramatically increase the combat effectiveness of both a single soldier (employee) and the unit as a whole.
Is this not innovation? But for more than 10 for years, no one has been interested in these stores, and many representatives of law enforcement agencies have only heard about them. However, unlike them, directly performing service-combat tasks and being in the line of fire by any means, up to their own money, they seek to get high-capacity stores that are not officially accepted for service.
AK-12 and M-16A3.
As a result of the AK, it should be noted that a number of specialists in the aggregate of characteristics are considered to be the most adapted to the conditions of modern warfare, which has no analogue in the world now and will not be long. Therefore, if we eliminate some personnel errors at Izhmash and adopt a long-term concept for the development of small arms in Russia, the questions about the promising machine gun will disappear by themselves.
ORSIS T-5000 design. Source: Russian newspaper
The sniper rifle "Orsis T-5000" at one time was declared a "tactical sniper rifle" (as if there are "operational" and "strategic"), capable of replacing all sniper rifles, which are in service with the Russian security forces. In this case, it would be quite enough to announce the creation of a domestic high-precision rifle, which can occupy its niche in the small arms system.
In our opinion, in the next 50 years, the SVD rifle both was and will remain the most common and popular sniper system, based on the 3-s level sniper classification offered by us: 1 level - long-range snipers, MTR, FSO , 2 level - anti-terror snipers with SVD rifles and SV-98 and 3 level - snipers of special-purpose and reconnaissance groups (general defense units of the Ministry of Defense, OMON and SOBR MIA) with SVD and SV-98 rifles.
It should be noted the surprising fact that today the “rules of the game” are somehow determined by anti-terror snipers (2 level), which are more than 80 times smaller than 3 level snipers, whose specifics of work differ markedly from the actions of the first. As a result of this redistribution of “roles” today, for use in mountainous and wooded areas with 50-150 firing distances, import rifles with manual reloading and powerful optics, ballistic calculators, meteorological stations, and other specific expensive equipment have become unreasonably purchased.
And this is despite the fact that the technology of manufacturing the barrel of a SVD rifle using the electrochemical method followed by chrome plating (sniper barrel !!!), developed at Izhmash, still amazes all foreign competitors.
The SVD was originally created as a purely army rifle for a regular cartridge with not the best ballistic characteristics, taking into account the requirements of the military doctrine, which entails disabling or defeating the enemy, and not absolute (100%) its elimination. Therefore, in the army course of shooting there are no targets like “terrorist with hostage” and the like.
At the same time, the experience of the sniper movement during the Second World War period was taken into account, when in combat conditions in an open area and in a village 98% of targets were hit from a distance of up to 350 meters. That is why today, just like during the war, when the primary and most dangerous goals of the combat manual are determined by the closest ones, the main qualities of the sniper rifle are its reliability and rate of fire. For the same reasons, there were no exercises in the army course of shooting (KS-CO-86), which involved shooting at ranges greater than 450 m (and from 2010 g. - 800 m).
Today, various “experts on small arms” in their subjective assessments are a factor determining the suitability of a sniper rifle for solving army tasks. As a result, in recent years there has been a kind of “chase” for the MOA’s shares on the basis of non-objectionable opinions of long-range high-precision shooting sportsmen (benchrest, came to Russia from the USA) who have no experience of active and long-lasting hostilities.
Experts know that accuracy and fire efficiency have a relationship only at distances that do not exceed the range of a direct shot. When shooting at long distances, “amazing” accuracy can play a cruel joke when not a single bullet hits the target in case of omission or inaccurate determination of the source data for shooting (distance to the target, wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, correction for derivation) , which is quite likely in a difficult combat situation.
And to carry with each sniper with him a whole heap of special devices for solving these tasks in combat conditions is hardly justified from any point of view, including and economic. So, for an army rifle, the accuracy of shooting should be optimal, ensuring the implementation of real, rather than contrived, for the sake of something (or someone) combat missions.
But, even starting from accuracy, it should be noted that our snipers with the CB-98 rifle have repeatedly won the first or won prizes in international competitions without excessive pomposity, and the other Izhmash rifle in the 338 Lapua caliber is also not inferior to foreign analogues. However, this fact does not cause interest, because it is not cool, and AW is cool.
CB-98
TTX CB-98
The following fact is very interesting. At the end of 80-x - the beginning of 90-s, the US security forces were left without a semi-automatic sniper rifle, as M-16 did not fit this role for various reasons. Then, using the hunting rifle "Remington-700" with camouflage lodge, blues "Harris" and optics "Naytforts", they started talking about the concept of one accurate shot.
While we, having "pecked" at it, 20 had fiercely argued over the rifles MC-116 and CB-98 for years, choosing the best, they didn’t stop developing and as a result they recently adopted the AR-20T semi-automatic rifle for 10 cartridge . From now on, all key countries of the NATO bloc are armed with their own self-loading sniper rifles. We continue to argue !!!
PKP "PECHENEG"
The situation with the Pecheneg PKP machine gun, also designated the most “machine gun” machine gun, is not completely clear. Today this machine gun, which, despite the strangeness in the name, was and remains a Kalashnikov machine gun, was declared by TSNIITOCHMASH as a fundamentally new machine gun. As a result of replacing the barrel, the resource of which is less than the resource of the two trunks to the PKM machine gun, increasing the mass by 1,5 kg, transferring the bipod to the muzzle (when firing while lying down, the sector of shooting sharply decreased) he actually acquired a new, but not the best, quality.
Therefore, the unanswered question again arises why, at such indicators, Pecheneg completely replaces the PKM machine gun, which was highly appreciated by servicemen and employees who perform operational combat missions in the conditions of mountainous and wooded areas and at a distance from their deployment sites.
Compact machine 9А-91
Special attention should be paid to small arms developed and produced by TsNIITOCHMASH - AS “Val”, BCC “Vintorez” and automatic machine 9А-91. In addition to the surprising ergonomics of these models, especially the latter, the interchangeability of assemblies and parts with the main Kalashnikov machine gun already in service is completely absent.
Moreover, even in 1964, Mr. M.T. Kalashnikov received the Lenin Prize for the creation of a unified complex of small arms as part of a light machine gun, fully unified with the machine gun already in service. In other words, the AS “Val”, the BCC “Vintorez” and the 9А-91 machine gun clearly do not meet the requirement for maximum unification of new weapons with existing ones. Or is this requirement canceled today?
Then it is not clear why the long-existing special machine AK-9 cal. 9х39 Izhmash, in all respects not inferior to the above-listed samples of special weapons, superior in reliability, and still difficult to distinguish from AK-104 when removed, is still unknown? Most likely, this is due to the closer location to Moscow of Klimovsk, compared with Izhevsk.
In connection with the foregoing, there is another question about light machine guns. Do our security agencies, forcedly leading military operations in mountainous and wooded areas, really do not need light automatic weapons with high-capacity stores and a long, thick, relative to the standard machine gun?
Submachine gun PP-90
It is impossible to ignore the question of obvious distortions in the class of submachine guns. Today, this is far from a complete list of these weapons intended for the “Kedr” and “Klin”, “Vityaz” and “Heather” (CP-2 and CP-2М), “PP-90” and “PP-93” , "PP-2000" and "Bison", small-sized automatic machines "Whirlwind" СР-3, СР-3М and 9А91, as well as, more recently, some imported samples, which, as a rule, are used only for "show" .
But it is one thing when the movie shows MP-5 from Heckler & Koch, with which "their tough guys" are fighting a stoned African American who took the hostess of the house hostage, and quite another when our special forces go into the forest or into a building during a counter-terrorist operation, where Kalashnikov assault rifles and machine guns, RPGs and other real weapons await him.
In general, the concept of small arms should be developed, clearly defining what the state is waiting for. In our opinion, it should provide for a sharp decrease in the number of samples of military small arms, their unification and a decrease in the number of calibers used.
So, for example, the cartridge SP-4 for LDC-1, PSS, "WoL", the "Vorchun" revolver, and other samples were originally created for conducting special operations mainly abroad. Suddenly, this cartridge began to be widely implemented, despite the fact that the main advantage of PB pistols (6P9) and APB is precisely the ability to use regular 9x18 munition, which is already widespread and much cheaper than the SP-4 cartridge.
Thus, in view of the above, today we can state that there has been a serious failure in the matter of providing the security forces of the Russian Federation with military small arms. This was facilitated, on the one hand, by the Ministry of Defense’s refusal to purchase a number of samples, incl. PM and AK-74, and on the other - the uncertainty in the matter necessary to equip the troops.
AK-74 after an extended factory upgrade. Photo: NPO Izhmash
As a result, a critical situation has developed for Izhevsk manufacturing plants, which has taken on the character of a trend, the situation with the technological base and skilled labor. To prevent the most gloomy forecast, when any new “miracle weapon” will have no place and no one to do, the state concept of developing small arms and ammunition should be adopted as a matter of urgency.
At present LLC “Polygon” (Chelyabinsk), on its own initiative, has developed a concept for creating a unified system of shooting training in the country, the implementation of which will allow, in addition to solving the main tasks, to load the manufacturers of military small arms with a state order and fill the resulting failure.
The proposed concept includes the 3 stage of interdepartmental rifle training, each of which involves the use of existing models of small arms and its weight and size models. In addition, this concept provides for the production and purchase by the state of a number of models of small arms.
Among the priority measures:
- procurement of an air gun MP-654 (similar to PM) and a pneumatic carbine "Junker" (analogue of AK) - for training pre-draft youth (10-14 years);
- procurement of a pistol PM, a carbine "SAIGA-22" and "SVD-22" (all for a small-caliber cartridge) - for pre-conscription training (14-16 years);
- procurement of sports samples MP-446 “Viking” and “SAIGA-MK” (cal. 5,45 and 7,62), “Tiger” (7,62х54) - for sports training;
- production of the required number of MMG pistols (order No. XXUMX of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation), PM, PJ and AK machine gun - for military and civil universities with military departments, training centers, units and subdivisions, secondary schools, military-patriotic and military sports clubs, DOSAAF in the framework of the implementation of the fire training reform in the power structures of the Russian Federation and educational programs;
- gradual replacement of AS “Val” and VSS “Vintorez” automatic machines with an AK-9 submachine gun, AK-74 assault rifle (cal. 5,45x39) with an AK-103 submachine gun (cal. 7,62 XX39) - for unification of military small arms.
During the preparation of the article for publication there was a change of leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin at a meeting with his new head, Army General Shoigu SK and the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Gerasimov V.V. noting that the excessive enthusiasm for innovation in recent years has led to difficult, sometimes catastrophic situations in many enterprises of the military-industrial complex, demanded that serious attention be paid to this.
In our opinion, the point of no return by the leading weapons enterprises of the national defense-industrial complex has not yet been reached. However, the state should urgently develop a concept for the development of small arms, taking into account the issues of a unified interdepartmental preparation of its qualified use.
This is confirmed by the speaker’s words at the exhibition of Russian armaments in Nizhny Tagil in 2011, which during the demonstration firing said the following: “... thus, the presented samples of military small arms currently in service with the security forces of the Russian Federation, not only outdated, but still not fully disclosed their combat capabilities. "
Information