APS underwater rifle

The APS underwater assault rifle (Russian: Автомат Подводный Специальный, romanized: Avtomat Podvodny Spetsialnyy, lit. 'Special Underwater Assault Rifle')^[2] is an underwater firearm designed by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. It was adopted in 1975. Made by the Tula Arms Plant (Тульский Оружейный Завод, Tul'skiy Oruzheynyy Zavod) in Russia, it is exported by Rosoboronexport.

APS
APS underwater rifle with 5.66-mm cartridge
Type	Underwater Assault rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1975–present
Production history
Designer	Vladimir Simonov
Designed	1970s
Manufacturer	Tula Arms Plant, TsNIITochMash
Produced	1975–present[1]
Specifications
Mass	3.0 kg empty 3.9 kg loaded
Length	840 mm with stock extended 620 mm with stock retracted
Barrel length	300 mm
Width	65 mm
Cartridge	5.66×39mm MPS with 5.66×120mm steel darts and tracer MPST
Caliber	5.66mm
Action	Gas actuated
Rate of fire	600 rounds per minute (on land)
Muzzle velocity	340–360 meter per second (on land)
Effective firing range	30 m at depth 5 m (98 ft at depth 16 ft) 20 m at depth 20 m (66 ft at depth 66 ft) 11 m at depth 40 m (36 ft at depth 131 ft)
Maximum firing range	100 m in the air
Feed system	26-round detachable Magazine

Under water, ordinary bullets are inaccurate and have a very short range. The APS fires a 120-millimetre-long (4.7 in), 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,^[2] 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.^[3]

The APS was adopted in 1975.^[4] 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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Design

The initial design of the APS was based on the AK-74.^[7] It has a magazine capacity of 26 rounds.^[8]

The first stage of developing the APS was its cartridge. A 5.45-millimetre (0.215 in) by 39-millimetre (1.5 in) cartridge was lengthened by about 115 millimetres (4.5 in) 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.

Special Operations Forces operator with an APS rifle

Users

Users of the APS underwater assault rifle

• Azerbaijan^[9]
• Belarus^[10]
• India: Used by MARCOS commandos.^[11]
• Kazakhstan^[12]
• Russia^[13]
• Serbia: by the 82nd River Underwater Demolition Company of the 72nd Brigade for Special Operations^[14]
• Ukraine^[15]

See also

• ADS amphibious rifle – Russian bullpup assault rifle for combat divers
• ASM-DT amphibious rifle – Russian folding stock underwater firearm
• QBS-06
• Underwater firearm – Firearms that can be effectively fired underwater