South Korea's DAPA selects DSAR-15PC carbine variant for RoKA's Special Warfare Command

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has chosen local firearms manufacturer Dasan Machineries as the preferred bidder in a KRW3.8 billion (USD3.1 million) programme to replace the S&T Motiv K1A 5.56 mm carbine currently used by the Republic of Korea Army’s (RoKA’s) Special Warfare Command.

South Korea’s DAPA has selected Dasan Machineries as the preferred bidder in a programme to replace the S&T Motiv K1A 5.56 mm carbine. The company will be providing a slightly modified variant of its DSAR-15PC CBQ model (seen here) for the RoKA’s Special Warfare Command. (Dasan Machineries)

Speaking to Janes on 15 June, a military official said the company, which was selected on 3 June, had proposed its DSAR-15PC 5.56 mm close quarter battle (CQB) model, a slightly modified variant of which is expected to enter service following user and evaluation trials set to begin in July.

The official pointed out that the 707th Special Mission Group and the 13th Special Mission Brigade of the Special Warfare Command will receive the first units of the unmodified weapon – about 1,000 – after which, based on their feedback, some 15,000 improved rifles are set to be delivered to all units within the command by 2023.

The 760 mm-long DSAR-15PC, which just as the Heckler & Koch HK416 5.66 mm rifle combines some of the AR-15’s features with a short-stroke gas piston system, has an effective range of 550 m, and a rate of fire of between 700 and 950 rounds per minute, according to the manufacturer. The weapon weighs 3 kg and its gun barrel is 11.5 inches long, making it suitable for CQB operations.

The K1A entered service with the South Korean military in 1982, with about 180,000 units produced so far, including exports.