The navy needs more than warships or missiles. To equip special forces, special weapons systems are required, designed to perform specific combat missions. So, combat swimmers need special small arms that can work effectively under water, while other units need means to protect themselves from saboteurs. Recently, there have been several news about domestic projects of special weapons created in the interests of the Russian Navy.
Two-medium automatic machine ADS
Even before the start of the international exhibition of arms and equipment IDEX-2015, which took place in Abu Dhabi (UAE), it was announced that the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) would present its new "Two-medium special assault rifle" ADS at this event. This weapon is intended for the special forces of the Navy, which require the means to destroy targets both in the air and in the water. With the help of a number of original technical solutions, it was possible to ensure the possibility of effective shooting in all necessary conditions.
On February 23, after the start of the exhibition, the director of the KBP branch (TsKIB SOO) Alexei Sorokin spoke about the signing of a contract for the supply of ADS machines. More than a hundred units of these weapons were ordered by one of the CIS countries. It has not yet been reported which country has shown interest in promising Russian-made weapons. Only the very fact of signing the contract and the approximate number of ordered machines were announced.
The two-medium assault rifle ADS was developed to arm combat swimmers. In such units, these weapons were supposed to replace both the APS submachine guns and the "land" Kalashnikov assault rifles. Due to specific requirements, combat swimmers have to use two types of weapons, one for operations underwater, the other for work on the surface or on land. This seriously complicates combat work due to the need to carry excess weight in the form of one of the machines, unsuitable for use in current conditions. The ADS machine, in turn, can be used both in water and in air.
In the late nineties, an attempt was made to create a universal machine, capable of using both standard cartridges 5, 45x39 mm, and "underwater" 5, 6x39 mm with a needle-shaped bullet. Nevertheless, the ASM-DT "Sea Lion" project was considered not fully suitable for solving the assigned tasks due to the need to carry large enough magazines with 5, 6x39 mm cartridges. For this reason, KBP began work on the creation of a new two-medium weapon and a special cartridge for it.
In the middle of the 2000s, Tula gunsmiths developed a new cartridge based on a standard 5, 45x39 mm cartridge case. A cartridge called PSP received a 53 mm long bullet, which is recessed into the sleeve, thanks to which this ammunition has the same dimensions as standard submachine gun cartridges. The 16 gram bullet is made of hard steel alloy and can be used for shooting both under water and in the air. In the air, an initial bullet velocity of about 330 m / s is provided. In water, the bullet is stabilized by the flat head, which forms a cavitation cavity. There is a training version of the cartridge called PSP-U. It differs from the combat one by a bronze bullet weighing 8 g with a shorter firing range.
The ADS assault rifle was developed on the basis of the components and assemblies of the A-91M assault rifle, created in the KBP. The weapon, like the prototype, is built on a bullpup layout and borrows some other solutions. ADS has an automation based on a gas venting system with barrel locking by turning the bolt. An important feature of the automation is a two-position ("air-to-water") switch, which is responsible for the correct operation of the mechanisms in the selected environment.
The ammunition supply of the ADS assault rifle is carried out using detachable magazines borrowed from Kalashnikov assault rifles chambered for 5, 45x39 mm. Such magazines can accommodate both standard automatic cartridges and "underwater" PSP. Due to this, the shooter is able to significantly reduce the size and weight of the wearable ammunition in comparison with the use of two assault rifles (AK-74 and APS) or the universal ASM-DT, using two types of cartridges in different stores. At the same time, the possibility of effective shooting both on land and in water remains.
With a total length of 660 mm, the ADS assault rifle is equipped with a 415 mm barrel. Weapon weight (with a grenade launcher) - 4, 6 kg. Due to the use of the bullpup layout, the machine had to be equipped with an upper carrying handle, on which an open sight is attached. If necessary, the weapon can be equipped with other sighting devices.
In terms of its characteristics, the ADS machine gun, using a standard cartridge 5, 45x39 mm, is similar to existing types of small arms for this ammunition. In this case, the ADS can serve as a convenient replacement for AK-74 assault rifles, etc. weapons. The "underwater" cartridge PSP provides destruction of targets in water at ranges of up to several tens of meters. An effective firing range of about 25 m is achieved at relatively shallow depths - up to 5 m. When submerged to 20 m, the effective range is reduced to 18 m. In terms of combat effectiveness, the PSP cartridge is superior to the 5.6x39 mm ammunition of the APS assault rifle. When using cartridges of both types, a rate of fire of up to 600-800 rounds per minute is achieved.
The special two-medium assault rifle is equipped with a 40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher. The grenade launcher is attached to the front of the weapon. The breech of the barrel and the firing mechanism of the grenade launcher are closed with a plastic automatic forearm. The grenade launcher is made in the form of a removable barrel, sight and firing mechanism. Unlike previous domestic grenade launchers, the ADS complex grenade launcher does not have a handle. The trigger is brought out inside the trigger guard, which is common for the machine gun and the grenade launcher. On the side surface of the grenade launcher there is a sectional sight for firing along hinged trajectories. The rifled barrel caliber of 40 mm allows the use of all existing grenades of the VOG-25 family, developed for the GP-25 or GP-30 underbarrel grenade launchers. If necessary, the integrated grenade launcher can be partially dismantled. So, after removing the sight and the removable barrel of the grenade launcher, the ADS machine gun can be equipped with a silencer or other special equipment.
The development of the ADS machine was completed in the second half of the last decade. According to some reports, in 2009, several new machine guns were transferred to the special forces of the Navy for testing. The weapon coped with the tests, as a result of which information appeared about its imminent acceptance into service. The new machine, which has higher characteristics in comparison with the existing samples, was to gradually replace them. However, the timing of such a replacement was not announced.
There is no exact information about the operation of the ADS assault rifle by the special forces of the Russian Navy. Rumors are circulating about the adoption of this weapon into service and the subsequent start of active operation. However, due to the secrecy of the work of the special forces of the Navy, confirmation or refutation of such information did not appear. During the IDEX-2015 exhibition, it became known that in the foreseeable future, "Two-medium special assault rifles" will enter service with one of the CIS countries. The unnamed state will receive at least a hundred new machines. Who exactly ordered the submarine machines is unknown, but one can make assumptions based on the geographical location of the countries, the availability of access to the sea and the existence of naval special forces.
Anti-sabotage grenade launcher DP-64 "Nepryadva"
On February 24, during the international exhibition of arms and equipment IDEX-2015, it became known about the start of serial production of DP-64 "Nepryadva" grenade launchers. Pavel Sidorov, head of the scientific and design department of NPO Bazalt, said that the enterprise had started a full-scale serial production of such weapons. Last year, Basalt received a large order from the Russian Ministry of Defense for the supply of new grenade launchers. What units and in what quantity will receive new weapons is not reported. It is only known that DP-64 grenade launchers are produced in the interests of the navy.
The current contract for the supply of Nepryadva grenade launchers is the first major order for this weapon. Previously, such grenade launchers were produced irregularly and in small batches, supplied to the marines, border troops and other structures. Now the Russian defense industry has embarked on a full-fledged serial production of weapons, which are likely to be supplied to a wide range of naval units.
The DP-64 "Nepryadva" grenade launcher is designed to protect various objects from enemy swimmers-saboteurs. It should be used to protect ports, waterworks, external roads, open anchorages, etc. It is assumed that a fighter armed with a DP-64 grenade launcher will be able to fire at the enemy, striking a blast wave of ammunition. The range of this system reaches several hundred meters and is actually limited only by the capabilities of enemy detection equipment.
Although the full-scale serial production of Nepryadva began relatively recently, the grenade launcher itself was developed in the late eighties. At the same time, the weapon passed the entire test cycle and was recommended for adoption. In the future, based on their capabilities, some structures ordered limited quantities of new grenade launchers.
The project of the DP-64 manual anti-sabotage grenade launcher was created as part of the Nepryadva program, the purpose of which was to develop new means of countering saboteurs for the navy. The development of the DP-64 project was carried out by the design bureau of the Machine-Building Plant. V. A. Degtyareva (city of Kovrov). Now the enterprise bears the name of the Plant im. Degtyareva.
The DP-64 grenade launcher consists of three parts: the grenade launcher itself and two types of grenades for different purposes. For effective use of the shooter's system must use high-explosive grenades FG-45 and light SG-45.
The DP-64 grenade launcher itself has two 45 mm barrels 600 mm long. The total length of the weapon is 820 mm, weight without ammunition is 10 kg. Thin-walled barrels without grooves are combined into a common block using three couplings in the muzzle, middle and breech sections. In the rear of the weapon there is a large block, which includes a bolt with a locking system and a firing mechanism. For charging, the shutter and trigger unit is movable. To reload the weapon, you need to press the locking lever, after which the rear block moves back and turns sideways, opening access to the breech of the barrel. Having placed the grenades in the barrels, the shooter must return the bolt block to its place, after which the weapon is ready to fire.
For ease of use, the DP-64 grenade launcher has two handles. The front is mounted on the middle barrel collar, the rear is next to the breech. The rear handle is equipped with a trigger with a safety guard. Above the bracket, on the right side, there is a switch responsible for selecting the barrel from which the shot will be fired. In front of the bracket there is a non-automatic safety device that blocks the trigger when it is on. Due to the relatively large recoil, the anti-sabotage grenade launcher is equipped with a large rubber butt pad, which should absorb part of its impulse.
On the left surface of the middle barrel sleeve there is a sectional sight with the ability to set the firing range. The range changes in steps of 50 m. The maximum sighting range of the weapon is 400 m.
The DP-64 complex includes two types of grenades. For hitting targets, it is proposed to use the product FG-45. This 45 mm ammunition weighing about 650 g looks like a mortar mine. It has a cylindrical body with a flat head and a tapered tail fairing, on which there is a stabilizer. To launch grenades, a cylindrical sleeve with a propelling charge is used, attached to the tail of the grenade. In this form, the ammunition is placed in the barrel of the grenade launcher. After the shot, the spent cartridge case is removed from the open barrel.
The FG-45 high-explosive grenade is equipped with a hydrostatic fuse that detonates the charge at a given depth. Before loading the weapon, the grenade launcher must manually set the detonation depth, after which he can fire a shot. According to some reports, the maximum depth of detonation is 40 m. Due to some features of the liquid media, the grenade of the DP-64 complex cannot effectively hit targets with shell fragments. The main damaging factor of the ammunition is the blast wave. The power of the charge is sufficient to reliably defeat enemy combat swimmers within a radius of 14 m. Thus, when a grenade is detonated at a depth of about 15 m, the enemy is defeated both near the surface and at depths of up to 25-30 m.
The second ammunition of the complex - the SG-45 flash grenade - is designed to mark or illuminate the intended area of the enemy's location. It has the same dimensions and weight as the shrapnel, but differs in its internal equipment. When it falls into the water, a flash grenade throws out a special pyrotechnic torch. This torch, being on the surface, illuminates the surrounding space with bright red light for 50 seconds.
According to some reports, shooters are advised to load the grenade launcher with two different types of ammunition before being on duty. Thanks to this, the soldier will be able to mark the detected target with a flash grenade and thereby help his colleagues in attacking the enemy using high-explosive grenades.
As already mentioned, until recently the anti-sabotage grenade launcher DP-64 "Nepryadva" was produced in small batches in the interests of various departments. Last year, a contract appeared for the supply of a relatively large amount of such weapons and ammunition for it. The system is to go to unnamed units of the Russian navy.
