Every year on October 24, Special Forces Day is celebrated in Russia — a professional holiday of servicemen of special purpose units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. On this day in 1950, a decree was issued in the USSR on the creation of separate special purpose companies, which became the prototype of modern special forces units. For more than 70 years, the special forces of the armed forces have been honourably performing their military duty. Today, there are special-purpose detachments not only in the army, but also in other law enforcement agencies: in foreign intelligence, in the FSB, in the National Guard and Rosgvardiya.
To solve special tasks, special forces soldiers often need special weapons: compact, lightweight and at the same time powerful − able to stop the enemy with one shot and break through the defense. Such weapons are being developed by Rostec enterprises.
On the Day of the Special Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, we talk about the developments of the State Corporation for special purpose units.
Pistol SR1 "Gyurza": predator strike
The SR1 "Gyurza" pistol was developed in the 1990s at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (Tsniitochmash) under the guidance of designer Peter Serdyukov. The main parameter of the new pistol was the ability to penetrate second-class personal protective equipment. Since 1996, "Gyurza" has been in service with the FSB and FSO special forces, and is also supplied to the army and the prosecutor's office.
Photo: TSNIITOCHMASH
The fighters of the special forces units "Gyurza" attracted with its very effective 9×21 mm ammunition with high penetrating power and powerful stopping action. A heavy bullet with a steel core penetrates a 4 mm thick sheet of steel at a range of 50 m. That is, the gun is able to "sting" the enemy through a bulletproof vest, through a helmet, and through a metal door. Despite its power, the Serdyukov pistol is similar in weight and size characteristics to its analogues, but with a 9x19 mm cartridge, weight 900 g. The latest modification of the "Gyurza" − the SR1MP model – has been mass-produced since 2012.
WED.2M "Heather": automatic partner "Gyurzy"
According to the plans, a pair of SR1 "Gyurza" pistol in the new weapons complex for special forces was originally supposed to be a submachine gun. The development work under the name "Heather" was completed at Tsniitochmash in 1998. The submachine gun was named SR.2 and was adopted in 2000.
Photo: Tsniitochmash
Powerful ammunition, high rate of fire, reliable design and compact size are the main advantages of the "Heather". The weapon is used to defeat the enemy, including in personal protective equipment of the second class, as well as unarmored equipment and people in it at ranges up to 200 m. The main ammunition of the CP.2 is an improved SP10 cartridge with a powerful stopping action and high penetrating power. Since 2010, a modified CP.2MP model has been mass-produced, the differences of which are the standard silencer and Picatinny rail.
Assault assault rifle complex SHAK-12: the terrorist will not hide anywhere
The complex was developed at the Instrument Engineering Design Bureau named after academician A.G. Shipunov (part of Rostec's High-Precision Complexes holding) for close combat during anti-terrorist operations in urban conditions. It includes an ASH-12 submachine gun, several types of ammunition and various accessories that ensure the tactical versatility of the complex.
The ASH-12 assault rifle is made according to the original bull-dad scheme. The layout with the handle in front of the magazine made it possible to make the weapon about 25% shorter without reducing the length of the barrel and loss of firing efficiency. Cartridges of 12.7 mm caliber with a supersonic bullet have a powerful stopping force and are capable of hitting the enemy with a single shot, and a special armor-piercing cartridge can hit targets protected by heavy armor or in hiding.
PP-2000 submachine gun: a weapon from the future
The submachine gun was developed in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau under the leadership of V.P. Gryazev and A.G. Shipunov and has been used in special forces and as a weapon of law enforcement officers since 2006. The recognizable silhouette of the PP-2000 is formed by a massive starting bracket, which can be used as a fire control handle. Pistol cartridges of 9×19 mm Parabellum are used as ammunition.
Photo: "High-precision complexes"
PP-2000 has a high accuracy, and even a beginner can hit the target from it. With a rate of fire of 600-800 rounds per minute, the weapon retains full controllability. You can fire from it with any 9 ×19 mm cartridges. To defeat targets using personal protective equipment located in vehicles and behind light obstacles, the 7N31 cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet is used.
PPK-20 submachine gun: Kalashnikov for special forces and pilots
The Vityaz-SN submachine gun, mass-produced in Izhevsk, was chosen as the basis for this model. This weapon was developed in 2004 for special forces units by the group of Viktor Kalashnikov, the son of designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, and the new PPK-20 is named in his honor. The main difference between the PPK-20 and automatic rifles is shooting with 9x19 caliber pistol cartridges, which made it possible to avoid a gas outlet assembly and apply a simple automatic circuit with a free shutter.
The high-pulse armor-piercing cartridge 7N21, designed to defeat enemy manpower protected by means of individual armor protection, allows to fully reveal the possibility of weapons. Such a cartridge penetrates a steel sheet with a thickness of 4 mm from a distance of 55 m. The PPK-20 weighs 2.7 kg with a magazine without cartridges, the total length is 600-660 mm, with a folded butt − 475 mm, that is, the weapon can be carried covertly. The sighting range is 200 m, which is quite enough for the work of special forces in urban conditions. Such compact dimensions and light weight make it possible to include the PPK-20 in the wearable emergency reserve of pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces.