[Newsbot]

<strong>Title: </strong> <a href="/link.php?id=26943" target="_blank">Afghan army leader says poor weapons putting his soldiers at risk</a> (click to view)

<strong>Category:</strong> <a href="/news/topic/16-world" target="_blank">World</a>
<strong>Posted By: </strong> <a href="/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=Hyack" target="_blank">Hyack</a>
<strong>Date: </strong> 2007-11-08 11:07:11
<strong>Canadian</strong>

[PENATRATOR]

The ak47 is more reliable in this enviroment, sand and dirt does not slow it down

[Scape]

Very true but a lot of the Aks are older then the people firing them. The design is true and the weapon and spare parts are in ample and ready supply but they do have a point that they are prone to jam. You can only clean the breach so much.

[ridenrain]

While the AK is a good weapon, any weapon can be worn out by poor maintenance in awful conditions. Even if the rifles are not worn out, there are reasons why we might want to supply them something new.

Amunition supply. If we provide them with new rifles in 5.56, they are dependant on NATO for ammunition. They can then work to restrict all import of 7.62x39 and that will make that round rare and more expensive.
This also falls into the NATO/UN idea of making the ammunition for the traditional assault rifle of the rebel or terrorist, rare and expensive.
The flip side of that is the weapon sound and signature becomes
associated with the bad guys, and that makes recognition and identification much easier.
Selling them newer NATO rifles is cheap if it get's them ready, faster.

[sasquatch2]

What always galls me is this notion of the AK47 being a superior rifle. It is not---it is not even a rifle---it is an automatic carbine. That bit in the movie with the Viet Cong sniper was pure fantasy. AK's are simply incapable of that. That's why the soviet developed the Dragonev, chambered for the old 7.62 Russian rimmed. Even some Moisin-Nagant, scoped, WW2 vintage, rifles were encountered. Cheap ammo and a cheap gun---it was designed to be reliable, cheap to produce, and fast to be produced to arm an unsophistocated army. It was never intended to have a long life. Some of the AK's I encountered in Nam, made in China without the russian cromed bore had shot out their rifling. It is for the most part stamped and pinned together with little machining--- a situation made worse with it's successor the AKM.

The Isreali Galil LOOKS a lot like an AK but is heavier, more expensive and much more robust.

Those old AK's are likely junk but look at it this way---the Taliban have the same problem.

[ridenrain]

You're right that it's not "the best" but it was perfect for the Russian agressive doctrine of the cold war. "Qualtity has a quality all of it's own", innacurate, automatic fire in an advance, and all that. The Russian ones are/were well made but if they were left behind by the Soviet invasion, their still some 30 years old.

Akin to my post above; the Mexicans have come up with their own indiginous assault rifle and theft and missuse were on the design table too. See the last paragraph.

$1:

Theft Resistant Assault Rifle
November 9, 2007: The Mexican armed forces are introducing a new infantry weapon, the FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (or "Fire Serpent" in one of the Indian languages). The FX-05 was designed and developed in 16 months by two army generals. The weapon is a 5.56mm assault rifle similar to the U.S. M-16. It is manufactured in Mexico, using no imported parts. It has a Picatinny Rail for scopes and other devices. It uses either 30 round box magazine, or a hundred round drum magazine. There are standard and short barreled (for urban operations and police) versions.


The eight pound FX-05 replaces the larger ten pound G3, a 7.62mm rifle, manufactured in Mexico under license from Heckler & Koch. The similarity of the FX-05 to the German Heckler & Koch G36 brought accusations that the Mexican rifle was an illegal copy. Heckler & Koch representatives came to Mexico earlier this year and carefully examined the FC-05, and concluded that there was no copying. Still, the two rifles are amazingly similar.



One big advantage if the FX-05 is that it is only for military use. This provides the Mexican government much better control over the weapon issued to its soldiers. The distinctive features of the FX-05 will better control unauthorized use as well. Moreover, shell casings and bullets, have the distinct mark of this rifle, making it easy to detect illegal use. Any stolen rifles will be easier to track, since only the military can possess them. Mexico began issuing the FX-05 last year. About 10,000 have been manufactured so far.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap ... 71109.aspx

[PENATRATOR]

Hey I am all for getting these guys Nato'd up with weapons, but from personal experience being here on the ground working with the ANA and ANP everyday, I sure see some shiny new looking AK's being handled around, don't think for a second there top guys would not exagerate just a wee bit to see what else they can get out of the west for free.