[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense video] What is the Next-Generation Special Operations Submachine Gun?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has attracted attention to the special operations submachine gun as it announced a bid for the 'Special Operations Submachine Gun System Development Project' in March. The project period for the special operations submachine gun is 36 months from the contract signing date, with a budget of over 3.8 billion KRW.

According to military officials on the 16th, the special operations submachine gun is largely divided into two categories: procurement projects and domestic development projects. The special operations submachine guns to be imported through the procurement project are expected to be first deployed to the Special Mission Brigade (hereinafter Special Mission Brigade). The Special Mission Brigade is a unit composed of about 1,000 personnel tasked with the so-called 'decapitation operation' to eliminate North Korean leadership in case of emergency. It was officially launched in 2017. To strengthen the capabilities of the Special Mission Brigade, the military allocated 340 million KRW in the 2018 budget. The capability enhancement includes special operations submachine guns, high-speed grenade launchers, suicide drones, and reconnaissance drones.

The defense company that first challenged the domestic development project is S&T Motive. Based on 30 years of experience supplying the military, they are determined to introduce a new concept special operations submachine gun. The K1A submachine gun supplied to the military was developed under government leadership starting in 1975. It was based on the U.S. M16A1. The special operations submachine gun to be developed will be a domestically developed personal weapon intended to replace the currently used K1A submachine gun. If developed, it will be the first successor personal weapon used by our military.

The biggest advantage touted by the company is the use of a single-stroke gas piston system. The single-stroke gas piston system has many advantages over the gas direct impingement system applied to existing rifles. Heat from gas pressure is not transmitted to the bolt carrier, and component damage is reduced. Especially, it operates reliably even if water, mud, or other foreign substances enter.

A DAPA official also stated in a monthly defense technology article, "The gas piston system blocks the inflow of cartridge gas into the chamber, reducing the probability of malfunctions caused by cartridge gas."

Before the Gulf War and Afghanistan War in the 1990s, the U.S. focused on lightweight rifles. However, rifles that could reduce minor malfunctions were more urgently needed than weight. The chosen method was the gas piston system. The HK416 rifle used by the Republic of Korea Navy Cheonghae Unit UDT operators during the 2011 Samho Jewelry ship hijacking rescue operation also operates with a gas piston system.

The special operations submachine gun to be developed by S&T Motive will apply modularization. The global trend in rifle development is also 'modularization.' Modularization means creating various compatible firearms using the same receiver and bolt carrier, with adjustable stocks suitable for different body types and optimized barrel lengths (for submachine gun, rifle, sniper rifle) according to required performance.

The firearm is also equipped with rails to attach additional equipment such as scopes and dot sights. The representative rail is the Picatinny Rail. The Picatinny Rail was first developed in the U.S. in 1995 and is now used by NATO and other member countries. Additionally, the barrel length is reduced to 10.5 inches to facilitate missions in airborne drops or jungle environments.

Especially, a telescopic stock is applied so that tall new-generation soldiers can adjust the stock length to fit their body size. A charging handle is also installed to allow both left-handed and right-handed users to operate equally.

Some voices suggest that to advance personal weapon technology, the management burden on companies with accumulated know-how should be reduced.

A DAPA official said, "Since 2018, all domestic rifle mass production projects have disappeared, but defense companies have maintained their workforce and production lines, facing management difficulties," adding, "Considering the limited demand and specificity of defense, solutions must be found together with the military."

An S&T Motive official said, "Starting from the Defense Ministry's Jopyeongchang established in 1973 under the banner of self-reliant defense, we have supplied rifles to our military for over 30 years," and added, "Based on the accumulated technology, we will not only satisfy the requirements of the armed forces but also pioneer defense exports."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.