"We will provide 2,500 rifles to frontline Army troops and special forces."Seoul (ANTARA News/Yonhap) - South Korea will issue K-11 assault rifles to frontline troops in June after fixing defects that had caused the rifle to explode in a previous test, military officials said Thursday.
The dual-barrel, air-burst weapons, which were jointly developed by S&T Daewoo and the Agency for Defense Development, were first distributed to South Korean troops in May 2010. But the defense ministry halted their use due to high defection rates.
After the rifle exploded in a field test in October 2011, the Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) formed a task force team to modify designs of the hybrid assault rifles and improve the shooting control system.
"We conducted additional testing and fixed defections of the K-11," a DAPA official said. "We will provide 2,500 rifles to frontline Army troops and special forces."
The Korean-made hybrid rifles use 5.56 mm rounds and can also fire a 20 mm air-burst projectile to attack targets hidden behind buildings or walls.
(T.A045/H-AK)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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