Russia’s Rostec State Corporation has completed the delivery of 4.5 mm SPP-1M underwater pistols and 5.66 mm APS underwater assault rifles to the foreign partner.
The weapons were developed by TSNIITOCHMASH of the Rostec State Corporation for arming special forces and combat divers. However, the name of the foreign client has not been revealed yet.
The SPP-1M pistol is capable of hitting underwater targets at a range of up to 17 meters or up to 20 meters when fired on the surface. In turn, the specialized underwater 5.66-mm APS assault rifle hits targets at a range of up to 30 meters under the surface, as well as at a range of up to 100 m when firing in the air.
“Water, in comparison with air, has a higher density, so it is impossible to use traditional firearms in an aquatic environment. This is why divisions of combat swimmers and scuba divers are armed with specialized small arms,” said a spokesperson from the Rostec Armaments cluster
“Due to their characteristics and reliability, underwater weapons, like many other Rostec products, are in strong demand abroad, such as the countries of the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.”
Ammunitions were supplied to the customer together along with the weapons. The weapons fire steel darts with a caliber of 4.5 mm and a length of 120 mm. The ammunition has a pointed conical head, with a special blunted tip. This design creates a cavity of air in front of the bullet when it moves underwater at high speeds, reducing water resistance and stabilizing the cartridge.
Rosoboronexport is the only state exporter in Russia of the entire range of military and dual-purpose products, services and technologies. It is part of Rostec State Corporation.
Rosoboronexport was established on November 4, 2000 and is one of the global arms leaders. The company accounts for over 85% of exports of Russian weapons and military equipment.
Rosoboronexport cooperates with over 700 enterprises and organizations of the Russian defense-industrial sector. Its military and technical cooperation cover over 70 countries.
