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Russian Army will receive new ADS amphibious assault rifles 71110163

Military Defense Industry Technology - Russia

Russian Army will receive new ADS amphibious assault rifles

Russia’s Armed Forces and military police will start receiving ADS amphibious assault rifles next year, Director of Russia’s Central Design Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Weapons Alexei Sorokin said. This is the first assault rifle in the world to fire equally well both in and out of the water. Notably, it is as good as the latest models of Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, while being smaller in size.

ADS amphibious assault rifle
(Credit: KBP Instrument Design Bureau)

The assault rifle was built by the Central Design and Research Bureau for Sports and Hunting Weapons. The bureau is part of the KBP Instrument Design Bureau, in Tula in central Russia, which is famous for its guided missiles and rapid-fire guns.

KBP in Tula is not involved in instrument design (it makes weapons, including small arms), but was described as such in Soviet times in order to confuse spies.

A unique underwater cartridge, the same size as standard assault rifle ammunition, was also invented here. Development of the special, dual-medium (capable of operating in two environments), 5.45mm assault rifle — known by the abbreviation ADS — was completed in Tula in 2007. It is not named after an individual designer, since the new weapon was the work of a large team.

Under water, the ADS fires 5.45x39mm cartridges, and, in the air, it discharges classic cartridges of the same caliber: The magazine of cartridges for underwater firing can be swapped for another filled with conventional cartridges for the standard Kalashnikov.

The ADS also has an under-barrel grenade launcher that takes VOG-25 and VOG-25P 40mm grenades. It can also be fitted with a tactical silencer and various sights.

The assault rifle embodies many features that are regarded as quite unusual in Russian weapons. Take the “bullpup” design alone: Usually, the pistol grip and firing mechanism are located in front of the magazine and the action is fitted in the buttstock.

This design makes it possible to substantially reduce the size of the assault rifle, while maintaining a long barrel. The ADS does not have a conventional buttstock; instead, it rests on the shoulder with a part called the backplate.

This is the first Russian-made weapon to eject spent cartridge casings forward while the chamber is closed. This reduces the amount of gas in the user’s face and makes it possible to fire from the right or left shoulder without swapping any parts. The assault rifle is therefore equally easy to use for right-handed and left-handed shooters.

"There are contracts. The deliveries to the Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry will begin next year," the director said.

According to Sorokin, there are export contracts as well.

It was reported earlier that the serial production of the ADS amphibious assault rifle would start in 2016.