[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Is the K-11 Combined Rifle Disappearing into History?

K-11 Combined Rifle [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It appears that the K-11 Combined Rifle, which our military intended to introduce, will disappear into history. This is because the military agencies have terminated the supply contract for the K-11 Combined Rifle, which they had promoted as a "luxury weapon."

According to the military on the 8th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) notified S&T Motive, the manufacturer of the K-11 Combined Rifle, of the contract termination on the 3rd due to the decision to halt the project. Accordingly, S&T Motive must recall the 900 K-11 Combined Rifles already supplied to the military. DAPA plans to recover about 100 billion won from the company following the recall of the K-11 Combined Rifles. However, S&T Motive has previously filed a lawsuit to reclaim payment for delivered goods and, after a Supreme Court ruling, won the case citing design changes by the state as the reason. They stated that they will have to wait for a legal decision. An audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection is also underway separately.

Inside and outside the military, there are criticisms that the K-11 Combined Rifle should be developed into a luxury weapon through continuous performance improvements rather than halting the project. This means it should be militarized through performance upgrades like the American Tomahawk missile, which is considered a luxury weapon. During the Gulf War, 288 rounds were fired, and in the 2001 Afghanistan invasion and 2003 Iraq invasion, the US and UK fired over 800 Tomahawks to neutralize key facilities. On the first day of the 2011 Libya airstrike operation, 124 rounds were launched at critical targets from a cruise missile-equipped attack nuclear submarine (SSGN).

The K-11 is an advanced weapon that simultaneously uses rifle bullets (caliber 5.56mm) and airburst rounds (20mm), developed first in the world by South Korea. While the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) oversees the project, the rifle body was developed by S&T Motive, the fire control system by EOSYSTEM, and the airburst rounds by Hanwha.

However, with the project halted, the companies face losses amounting to hundreds of billions of won invested in developing the K-11. Ultimately, the companies have no choice but to proceed with lawsuits. This has led to subtle tensions between the military and the companies. Recently, DAPA officials reportedly visited defense companies involved in the K-11 rifle development project to investigate the extent of the companies' damages.

Besides research expenses for developing the K-11, the companies have piles of pre-purchased parts. The companies contracted to supply about 4,100 rifles to the military in May 2010. By 2013, 914 rifles had been delivered. However, defects occurred during this period, and the project was halted. The companies have already purchased parts for the remaining contract quantity of about 3,200 rifles.

According to last year's Board of Audit and Inspection report, DAPA purchased a large quantity of airburst rounds used in the K-11 rifle despite unresolved issues with cracks in the fire control system of the K-11 rifles between 2015 and 2016, which made the use of the airburst rounds uncertain.

A defense industry expert said, "Government agencies that promoted the K-11 Combined Rifle did not face disciplinary action even when soldiers were injured in accidents in 2011 and 2014," adding, "They are only playing a role in evading responsibility through a government-led project structure."