Automatkarbin 24
Automatkarbin 24 | |
---|---|
Type | Assault rifle |
Place of origin | Finland |
Service history | |
Used by | Swedish Armed Forces |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | SAKO |
Variants | Ak 24A |
Specifications | |
Mass | 3.2 kg (7.05 lb) empty |
Length | 800 mm (31.5 in) |
Barrel length | 292 mm (11.5 in) |
Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO |
Caliber | 5.56 mm |
Sights | Aimpoint Comp M5 |
The Automatkarbin 24 (Ak 24; lit. 'Automatic Carbine 24') is a Swedish version of the Finnish Sako M23 assault rifle that is expected to enter service with the Swedish Armed Forces by 2025 to replace the Ak 4 and Ak 5.[1]
History
Since 2012 it was well known that the ageing Ak 5 and Ak 4 was in dire need of replacement. Therefore in the spring of 2023 the Swedish Armed Forces along with the Finnish Defence Forces, who was also looking to replace their Soviet-era rifles, signed a contract with the Finnish firearms manufacturer SAKO to supply each respective armed forces with firearms of the newer M23 family which had entered production just one year earlier.[2]
The first 200 units were delivered to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in April 2024, with a further 7,500 to be delivered by the end of the year and a further 7,500 in 2025.[3]
References
- ^ "Nya eldhandvapen". fmv.se (in Swedish). Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Nya eldhandvapen – införandeledare är utsedd". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "POTD: Sweden's New Automatic Carbine 24". The Firearm Blog. Retrieved 22 June 2024.