By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South Korea's arms development agency will showcase its up-to-date airburst rifle in the United States next month, the first-ever overseas marketing of the K11 ``multipurpose rifle,'' officials said Friday.
The new type of assault rifle can fire both standard 5.56mm NATO-compatible ammunition and a 20mm airburst round, selected by a single switch, according to the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).
The agency will display the K11 rifle and showcase its performance at the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii early next month, ADD officials said.
``On the occasion of the upcoming showcase of the K11 rifle in the United States, full-scale overseas marketing of the indigenous weapon will begin,'' an ADD official said, asking not to be named.
The K11 rifle development is remarkable in that the United States initiated the development of a similar airburst rifle but failed to complete the project due to technical difficulties, the official said.
The United States pushed for developing an XM29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon, but the development was canceled in 2004.
In April, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration approved a plan to begin mass production of the K11 rifle and deploy them in the field later this year. ADD and S&T Daewoo will co-manufacture the rifle.
The K11 consists of a semi-automatic 20mm smart grenade launcher, an under-slung assault carbine firing a standard 5.56mm NATO round, and a top-mounted computer-assisted sighting system with integrated laser rangefinder, and thermal infrared night vision capabilities.
Under a self-detonation system, the 20mm round from the rifle can trace its target and explode three to four meters above it, and it is also capable of penetrating the walls of buildings.
The weapon has an effective range of 460 to 500 meters. The per-unit price is about 16 million won ($11,800).