These days, small arms are going through hard times. In the international market, there is a constant increase in competition with a shortage of truly fresh, new ideas. It would seem that humanity has gone a long way from the moment of the invention of gunpowder to the creation of modern models of small arms, having made all the available discoveries on this path and introduced all the advanced technologies. However, progress does not stand still, and small arms, especially military ones, will gradually continue to evolve.
Today, many countries are engaged in the development of promising small arms, and often the design of new weapons resembles samples from science fiction films. The same can be said for the development of Canadian engineers who are working on the assault rifle of the future. New small arms are created within the so-called SIPES program - Soldier Integrated Precision Effects Systems (integrated high-precision destruction system). Work on this program in Canada has been going on for over 10 years.
Improved accuracy, high firepower and the development of integrated electronics, which are designed to provide communication with the command and control networks - these are the main features that are inherent in the conceptual model of the new Canadian assault rifle. DRDC - Defense Research and Development Canada (Defense Research and Development Canada) and Сolt Canada are working together to create the weapon of the future in Canada.
canadian soldier with assault rifle Colt C7A2
Colt Canada was known as Diemaco until 2005. Today it is not just a manufacturer of licensed copies of American small arms, mainly rifles based on the Armalite AR-15. The company created the C7 assault rifle (analogue of the American M16A1E1) and the C8 carbine (analog of the American Сolt 653 M16A1 Carbine). These models had a number of differences that were associated with the specifics of the use of small arms in the Canadian armed forces. Among other things, based on the experience gained by the Canadian military during the war in Afghanistan, their automatic rifles received a number of improvements. For this reason, a number of NATO countries (Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands) preferred the Canadian development to the American original. Most likely, the main role was played by the better adaptability of the C7 / C8 models to the difficult, unfavorable climatic conditions of operation, primarily in the northern regions.
Over time, the Colt Canada company began to engage in its own development of weapons. The specialists of this arms company created the 40mm EAGLE hand grenade launcher, the original LSW light machine gun based on the M16 assault rifle and the new modular MRR assault rifle. Colt Canada is based in Ontario, near Toronto, and innovation is not an empty phrase for it. At one time Diemaco, which turned into Colt Canada, was a subsidiary of Héroux-Devtek, specializing in the production of various components for the aerospace industry. The most important achievement of Heroux-Devtek was the creation of a high-tech landing gear for the lunar module "Appolon-11". So Colt Canada has a rich technical heritage and tradition.
It is worth noting that the Canadian development corresponds to the accepted ideas about the appearance of promising machines and the possible directions of their development, which in 2016 in an interview with Lenta.ru were voiced by Mikhail Degtyarev, who is the editor-in-chief of the Kalashnikov magazine. According to him, it is difficult to expect something fundamentally new on the assault rifle market without creating fundamentally new ammunition for them. A possible direction of development, he called caseless cartridges, as well as the use of gas or liquid propellants as a charge. He also believes that in the future there may be weapons systems with other methods of charge initiation, for example, with a non-mechanical primer, but electrical initiation.
Prototype Canadian rifle of the future, presented by DRDC in February 2015
At the same time, Degtyarev called the use of guided ammunition in relation to hand-held small arms unlikely, calling it an insanely expensive idea, even if you just carry out experiments in this direction. According to him, in the near future, the world should expect the emergence of new assault rifles, turning into weapon systems with new grenade launchers integrated into the design. Which can get new intelligent ammunition. According to Degtyarev, in the grenade launcher caliber, one can already afford to consider various systems for detonating ammunition: contactless, remote, with a programmable fuse and others.
A promising assault rifle being created in Canada already meets the stated criteria in some way. She will receive an integrated 40-mm grenade launcher and new ammunition. The weapon was originally developed specifically for the telescopic cartridge. New small arms are being developed in Canada as part of an integrated weapons platform known as the System of Systems. It is being developed for the Canadian armed forces and includes, in addition to the fighter's personal weapons directly, also means of communication, navigation, ballistic protection, power supply, combat control, as well as a helmet-mounted system, a sensor system (including a micro-drone) and a transport system. connected to each other by a personal network.
Work on a new assault rifle is being carried out directly as part of the SIPES program mentioned above. They began in October 2007 and are also known as SARP II - Small Arms Replacement Project II (project to replace small arms, the second stage). Within the framework of this project, in the period from 2012 to 2022, a new modern small arms should be created in Canada, which will be integrated into a new system of combat equipment. It is assumed that the new assault rifle will be able to hit both the enemy's manpower (including a non-lethal option) and his equipment using new ammunition. It is worth noting that the Canadians do not spare funding for the development of new weapons. The total cost of the SARP II project is estimated at over one billion dollars. As a basic platform for advanced small arms, several produced models are considered, including the FN SCAR, Beretta APX-160, as well as the FN P90 and PDW HK MP7.
Telescopic cartridges caliber 5, 56 mm
As part of the SARP II project, Canadian engineers plan to achieve the following goals:
- increasing the rate of fire;
- ceramic barrel;
- a stock with a metal matrix obtained by injection molding;
- modular design of weapons with the ability to easily change the caliber;
- equipping weapons with a set of software-controlled sensors;
- the use of telescopic ammunition of a new caliber (Canadian engineers are considering both caseless and caseless options);
- the use of high-energy nano-gunpowder;
- the use of bullets with a segmented core;
- the use of environmentally friendly ammunition;
- optional action of ammunition on the target - lethal or non-lethal;
- wireless communication operating in real time with other components of the combat system;
- architecture on the principle of Plug-and-Play, operating over Ethernet;
- interface bus for data and power transmission;
- the presence of a radio frequency (RFID) or biometric identification system on the weapon;
- practical implementation of an unconventional aiming system, which should include a target identification system, a modular fire control system, an automatic tracking and firing system at a selected target in motion, a SWIR / LWIR night sight (combining the properties of a thermal imager and an IR sight), as well as power supply of weapons independent of power sources.
A number of the listed technologies have been successfully implemented in modern realities and are applied in practice, but the complete list of goals is truly impressive and can boggle the imagination. Especially, taking into account the fact that Canadian engineers set themselves the goal of realizing everything conceived at least in the form of working prototypes, that is, weapons that will be embodied in metal. At the same time, there is no talk of adopting a new system or its components yet; the demonstrators of new technologies being developed should become the basis for creating new standard systems of small arms.
It should be noted that fiction is getting closer to reality every day. In February 2015, DRDC held a presentation that included a press release, several snapshots of the rifle of the future, and a video. In this case, we are not even talking about an assault rifle, but about a full-fledged rifle-grenade launcher complex. Even then, it was emphasized that one of the main tasks facing the developers was to reduce the weight of the weapon. To do this, Canadian engineers used several types of new lightweight materials, and also minimized the weight of those assemblies that are made of steel. In the end, it turned out that a fully equipped prototype of the new weapon weighs less than the serial Colt C7 assault rifle, equipped with an M203 underbarrel grenade launcher. This rifle is currently in service with the Canadian army.
The use of new telescopic cartridges also plays a role in reducing the weight of the new weapon. In caseless design, these ammunition is a bullet that is fully or partially covered with a layer of highly effective powder substitute. In order to determine the possibility of using such cartridges, the creators of the new rifle had to conduct detailed tests, during which the safety and stability of cartridges were checked for a long time, as well as the absence of negative effects caused by their aging.
The research that accompanied the creation of a new rifle also affected the development of new technologies for automatic search, capture, tracking and subsequent destruction of targets. As part of these studies, a number of specialized software algorithms and sensors were created, which provide for the use of weapons in almost all typical situations that may arise during military operations. It is assumed that in the near future, the new Canadian rifle will also be able to independently fire at accompanied targets. This is planned to be achieved through the introduction of technologies similar to those presented by the American company TrackingPoint.
The rifle shown in the photographs and video is made in a bullpup layout, in which the trigger is extended forward and located in front of the magazine. Today, this scheme is quite common for small arms in NATO countries. The caliber of the rifle is 5.56 mm, while the weapon has a rate of fire regulator that allows you to adjust the rate of fire over a wide range. As an additional weapon, a 40 mm grenade launcher with three grenades located in a round drum, or a 12-gauge shotgun can be easily installed on the rifle. It is reported that the grenade launcher will be able to use smart ammunition. Easy integration of the grenade launcher and the place for its installation make it possible to talk about a full-fledged rifle-grenade launcher complex.
According to the developers, the new assault rifle will be a flexible weapon platform that can be used in any environmental conditions and in any theater of operations from hot deserts and arctic snows to dense urban development. It is known that the first prototype of a weapon created as part of the SARP II project was tested by firing from a machine tool, and also passed ergonomic and operational tests at Canadian military bases, which indicates that this project definitely deserves close attention, at least from the side of experts in the arms industry and the military from many countries of the world.
