APS underwater rifle
Template:Short description Template:More footnotes Template:Infobox weapon
The APS underwater assault rifle (Template:Langx)<ref name="Ug">https://sadefensejournal.com/russian-underwater-guns/ Template:Bare URL inline</ref> is an underwater firearm designed by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. It was adopted in 1975. Made by the Tula Arms Plant (Template:Langx) in Russia, it is exported by Rosoboronexport.
Under water, ordinary bullets are inaccurate and have a very short range. The APS fires a Template:Convert, 5.66 mm calibre steel bolt specially designed for this weapon. Its magazine holds 26 rounds. The APS's barrel is not rifled; the fired projectile is kept in line by hydrodynamic effects; as a result, the APS is somewhat inaccurate when fired out of water.
The APS has a longer range and more penetrating power than spearguns. This is useful in such situations such as shooting an opposing diver through a reinforced dry suit, a protective helmet (whether air-holding or not), thick tough parts of breathing sets and their harnesses, and the plastic casings and transparent covers of some small underwater vehicles.
The APS is more powerful than a pistol, but is bulkier, heavier and takes longer to aim, particularly swinging its long barrel and large flat magazine sideways through water.
History
The rising threat of attacks by frogmen in naval bases caused various anti-frogman techniques to be developed. In the USSR, one of these techniques was guard frogmen sent to stop the attackers. At first these guard frogmen were armed only with knives and AK-type rifles. The rifle was carried in a waterproof case and could be used only on the surface, so the only effective underwater weapon against enemy frogmen was the knife.
The SPP-1 underwater pistol was accepted in 1971,<ref name="Ug"/> but soon proved to be useful for close-up self-defence rather than in attacking more distant targets. Vladimir Simonov undertook the job of developing an underwater assault rifle.<ref name="Ni">https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-aps-spetsnaz-rifle-russian-gun-fires-underwater-40747 Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
The APS was adopted in 1975.<ref name="guns">https://web.archive.org/web/20190605023546/https://www.guns.com/news/2013/07/08/the-aps-russias-underwater-assault-rifle-what-frogmen-bring-to-pool-parties Template:Bare URL inline</ref> Afterwards, there was lengthy improvement work on the APS. One improvement was fitting a perforated gas pipe with a special shield to break up the emitted gas bubbles, making targeting easier and reducing the visibility of the bubbles, allowing stealthier firing of the weapon.
In 2021, Rosoboronexport reported the delivery of APS rifles to a foreign country.<ref>https://vpk.name/en/507855_russia-has-delivered-a-batch-of-underwater-pistols-and-submachine-guns-abroad.html Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
Due to the limitations of the APS such as being ineffective when being used outside of water, the ASM-DT was designed to address them.<ref>https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/swimmers-beware-russia-has-built-underwater-rifles-184322 Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
Design
The initial design of the APS was based on the AK-74.<ref>https://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/aps-underwater-rifle/ Template:Bare URL inline</ref> It has a magazine capacity of 26 rounds.<ref>https://spartanat.com/en/russisches-unterwasser-sturmgewehr Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
The first stage of developing the APS was its cartridge. A Template:Convert by Template:Convert cartridge was lengthened by about Template:Convert to fit the sharp-fronted steel bolt. Another cartridge version was designed that contained a miniature rocket, which when fired makes a visible streak in the water.
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Users
- Template:Flag<ref>Вадим Зайцев, Юрий Лямин. Силы специальных операций Азербайджана // журнал "Экспорт вооружений", № 4, 2021.</ref>
- Template:Flag<ref>капитан Дмитрий Лобашов. На земле, в воздухе, под водой... // журнал "Армия", № 3, 2014. стр.22-25</ref>
- Template:Flag: Used by MARCOS commandos.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag<ref name="SAS 2012 4">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flag<ref>«Кроме того, бойцы отряда ПДСС выполнили стрельбы из специальных подводных пистолетов СПП-1 и специальных подводных автоматов АПС.»
Бойцы отряда ПДСС Балтийской военно-морской базы отработали водолазные спуски со средствами движения // официальный интернет-сайт министерства обороны РФ от 11 июля 2024</ref> - Template:Flag: by the 82nd River Underwater Demolition Company of the 72nd Brigade for Special Operations<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag<ref>https://armamentresearch.com/5-66-x-39-mps-cartridges-in-kiev/ Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
See also
References
Bibliography
- Piotr Taras „Strzałki” dla płetwonurków, Komandos 9/93. Template:ISSN.
- Zbigniew Gwóźdź, Strzały pod wodą, Komandos 7/8/96. Template:ISSN.
- Leszek Erenfeicht, Rosyjska broń strzelecka dla płetwonurków, Strzał 5/2003. Template:ISSN.
- Wiktor Suworow, Specnaz. Historia sił specjalnych Armii Radzieckiej, Wydawnictwo Adamski i Bieliński, Warszawa 1999. Template:ISBN.
- Template:Cite book
External links
- A real APS used in filming game footage for the Call of Duty: Ghosts videogame.