Australian modern infantry complex "AICW"

Australia in terms of the development of military weapons does not often please us with novelties. So the development of an infantry portable complex for infantry unit personnel crept into the media almost unnoticed. The basis of the “AICW” complex was the notorious American concept of the multitasking complex “XM29 OICW”.
"Advanced Infantry Combat Weapon" - the full name of the Australian infantry complex.
The customer - the Australian government agency "DSTO" - together with the following companies began to develop the latest weapons for infantry units:
- ADI Limited is engaged in the creation of the assault rifle unit "AICW", plus the full integration of all systems;
- Tenix Defense is developing an electronic complex for aiming;
- Metal Storm is responsible for the development of the AICW grenade launcher system.

Shooting system
The basis of the assault rifle section is the proven FX12UMXA88 assault rifle. This rifle is the standard weapon of the Australian infantry units. Produced in Australia based on the license of the Austrian rifle "Steyr AUG A2".
The barrel of the rifle remained intact, 508 mm barrel lengths retain the kinetic efficiency of the entire complex. When firing from a complex with a new sight with ordinary ammunition, it shows better characteristics than the American XM29 OICW.
It is clear that the rifle module is an upgrade of the Austrian rifle “Steyr AUG”.
Modernization:
- additional attachments for the AICW grenade launcher system;
- spring recoil absorber grenade launcher;
- sighting module;
- increased stock for grenade launcher systems;
- electronic control circuit grenade launcher complex. The scheme is located in the butt of the complex;
- battery of the grenade launcher control circuit, also located in the butt of the complex;
Has been upgraded and fuse rifle "Steyr AUG". A button-type fuse is replaced by a switch-type fuse. It has three choices:
- first position - fuse;
- the second position - assault rifle;
- the third position is a grenade launcher.
Shooting from the AICW complex with both ammunition and grenades is performed using the same trigger.

Grenade launcher module
The company "Metal Storm" has developed a multiply charged grenade launcher module for the complex "AICW". It is made as a replaceable barrel-store with an electronic control circuit and a battery for its power.
The use of a replaceable barrel-shop made it possible, when using the complex, to quickly change the barrel-store with other grenade ammunition. Here we note that the barrel-shop can be not only under a different ammunition, but also under a different caliber. So, you can use the 20 mm caliber barrel shop, which uses high-speed and long-range high-explosive fragmentation grenade ammunition, and you can use the 40 mm caliber magazine, which uses low-speed grenade ammunition with non-flying combat units, such as smoke or gas.
The electronic circuit is unified for all trunks-shops used in this complex. The control circuit of the grenade launchers connected to the sighting system. It transmits data on the used grenade launcher module to the sighting system, which allows the sighting system to automatically adjust itself to the used ammunition. The shooter does not take part in setting up the complex when changing the trunk of the store.
The concept of the stem-store used in the AICW complex is a technology patented by the company. Grenade ammunition is located in the barrel-shop without shells, between them special powder charges. Ignition occurs with an electrical circuit that sends an electrical signal to ignite a powder charge. In the trunk-store, in the walls, electric igniters are located. Igniters resemble spark plugs for automotive equipment.
The barrel shop is a closed system and is assembled in the factory. All trunks shops in the factory are equipped with grenade launchers. After using the trunk of the store it is disconnected and simply install another.

Sighting system
Tenix Defense has developed an sighting system that includes:
- daytime television channel;
- night television channel;
- laser rangefinder;
- communication interface with the grenade launcher;
- interface for connecting various external receiving information systems, such as a helmet display.

Key Features:
- NATO rifle caliber 5.56 mm;
- caliber grenade system - 40 mm, 30 mm, 20 mm;
- The weight of the un-equipped complex is 6.8 kilogram;
- the length of the complex - 817 mm;
- magazine capacity - 42 and 30 rifle cartridges, grenade launchers - 4-6 grenades;
- fire rate of the rifle module - 650 shots / min .;
- sighting range - 0.5 km.

Additional Information
Although the technology has not been fully developed in the field and reloading of the grenade launcher complex can only occur in factory conditions, this infantry complex for Australia is almost ideal. Australia’s involvement in any military conflict due to its remoteness from other states is unlikely. Therefore, a small supply of grenade ammunition has virtually no effect on the use of the infantry units of Australia.
Available information about the future fate of the AICW complex is mass production in the very near future.

Comments

[Lech e-mine]

An Australian safari will do. For our frosts, of course not.

[Antipov]

The photo also shows that the sight is mounted on a grenade launcher. I wonder then how the magazine barrel is replaced? If it is disposable ... And there are doubts about the convenience of using such a "suitcase", cleaning and maintenance, especially in the field

[J_silver]

Then they sang to me about the inconvenience of using the AK in a supine position - what do you say to THIS?
The degree of ugliness and inconvenience, in my opinion, just rolls over ...

[snek]

Quote: J_Silver

The degree of ugliness and inconvenience, in my opinion, just rolls over ...

Such a characteristic as "ugliness" is subjective and has little to do with the effectiveness of the weapon. As for the convenience - do you use it?

[J_silver]

And the picture does not understand?

[snek]

Never judge ergonomics by appearance alone (unless the subject is covered with spikes). Sometimes you look at some tools and don’t understand how to handle it, but in practice it turns out to be a very convenient thing. So if you yourself did not hold in your hands, then you can not judge.

[J_silver]

????????
Take a look at the photo yourself and see how comfortable it is to keep its characters in camouflage ...

[dred]

Australians hold neutral or simply do not join military companies.

[Artemka]

Well, I don’t remember that Australia fought with someone.

[PSih2097]

Fought wherever England climbed ...

[stalker]

Well, you give, they fought with Rommel, and helped amers against the Japs.

[PSih2097]

An Australian safari will do. For our frosts, of course not.

Stair will come in handy for our frosts, moreover, it is considered one of the most successful European ABs (it has a guaranteed limit of min 30 centigrade). Although I like SCAR more ...

[Kyrgyz]

and if you go through the swamps, it will not go bad?

[Farkash]

Here you wunderwaffle! And these there, it would be better to breed military kangaroos.

[swat2238]

With such a bulb and on a fighting kangaroo, only people laugh =)
Just like during the Cold War, "secret" development. Useless!

[Guns]

in such a way (the size of a wunderwafle) soon the fighter will move right in the "shooting" complex, write and poop in the same place

[koosss]

this is the future by the way)

[APASUS]

Ours are also working on new models !!
The ASH-12.7 large-caliber assault machine is the latest development of the Russian Instrument Design Bureau (more precisely, its TsKIB SOO unit responsible for the development of small arms) from the city of Tula. The ASh-12.7 assault rifle was commissioned by the FSB of Russia to arm special units as a highly effective “assault” melee weapon, which provides high stopping power at short distances (in the city, when storming premises, etc.), while reducing the likelihood of third persons due to the rapid drop in bullet energy with increasing range. However, for this machine in KBP, a number of rounds with different types of bullets were developed, providing high tactical flexibility when using the ASh-12.7 assault machine in various conditions.
According to published information, the first deliveries of the ASh-12.7 machine to the customer occurred at the end of 2011.
It should be noted that the currently available information on the ASH-12.7 assault rifle is extremely scarce, so the description below is incomplete and is mainly based on the analysis of publicly available photographs and patents. As more reliable information becomes available, the article will be corrected and supplemented - M. Popenker.
The basis of the rifle complex, which includes the ASH-12.7 large-caliber assault machine, is a family of special 12.7mm caliber cartridges developed by TsKIB SOO. The basis of the new cartridge was a cylindrical sleeve 55 mm long from the 12.7x55 SC-130 subsonic sniper cartridge, created several years ago in the same TsKIB SOO for the VKS Exhaust silent sniper rifle. Ammunition for the assault rifle is equipped with several types of bullets - light, heavy, armor-piercing, there is also a two-bullet version with a tandem arrangement of bullets. Ballistic characteristics of cartridges for the ASh-12.7 assault rifle have not yet been published, however, it is known that a light bullet has a hollow aluminum core, a bimetallic shell, and a mass of about 7 grams that are bare in the bow. The muzzle velocity of such a bullet, obviously, significantly exceeds the speed of sound, however, the combination of a small mass of a bullet with a large caliber leads to the fact that such a bullet quickly loses speed and energy with increasing range. Most likely, the effective firing range of such a bullet will not exceed 50-100 meters, however, at short ranges such a bullet will have a very high stopping effect. A heavy bullet most likely has a subsonic speed, which makes it possible to effectively use such cartridges in combination with a removable silencer to provide increased secrecy of the use of weapons.
It should be noted that the concept of an “assault” large-caliber automatic weapon is not new in itself. In particular, in the United States several cartridges of caliber over 11 mm (.45 - 11.43 mm and .50 - 12.7 mm, with a bullet weight of 20 grams or more) designed for use in re-reiformed AR-15 / M16 series rifles have been developed. However, the main difference between large-caliber American ammunition and domestic rounds is that they all use fairly heavy bullets weighing about 20 grams or more. At the same time, the 12.7mm cartridge for the machine gun ASh-12.7 exists both in the version with heavy bullets and with a very light one (for its caliber). Interestingly, such heavy bullet cartridges have a certain popularity in the USA as hunting ones. In principle, it is possible that a domestic 12.7x55 cartridge with a heavy expansive bullet can also have civilian use in the hunt, for example, in the MTs-558 hunting rifle, created in TsKIB SOO based on the VKS sniper rifle.

The large-caliber assault machine ASh-12.7 is made in a bullpup layout and has a receiver made by stamping from a steel sheet. The forend, the stock and the pistol grip are made of shockproof plastic. Automatic weapons presumably gas vent, with a rotary shutter. Cartridge supply - from detachable double-row stores. Fire controls include separate levers for a fire mode translator (automatic single) and a fuse. The fire mode translator is located at the rear of the weapon, behind the magazine, the fuse is above the pistol grip. The machine can have several configurations - with a handle for carrying over the receiver, which integrates an open sight with a full diopter and a folding front sight, as well as a Picatinny rail for mounting optics, or without a carrying handle, with sights on folding bases and a rail type Picatinny mounted directly on the receiver. Under the fore-end of the ASh-12.7 assault rifle, an additional Picatinny rail can be mounted for installing a grenade launcher or front "assault" handle, and a variant of an assault rifle with a grenade launcher is also known. The muzzle of the barrel of the machine can be equipped with a developed muzzle brake compensator or quick-release muffler of the sound of a shot.

[grizzlir]

Carry such a fool, just tin.