The soldiers of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade have received Haenel MK 556 rifles, which were originally part of a scandalous German defense contract. The rifles were donated by the German government as part of international military assistance and were ordered by the German Armed Forces. However, due to patent infringements, the contract was canceled and the rifles were placed in storage. Photos of the soldiers with their new weapons have been posted online.
The Haenel MK 556 assault rifles are based on the American AR-15 automatic rifle and are chambered in the standard 5.56×45-mm caliber for NATO countries. They feature a more practical automatic system with a short gas piston stroke and a gas regulator. The soldiers received the rifles in a standard “German” configuration, complete with an angled forend holder, a retractable multi-mode stock, and a collimator sight. The rifles were produced by Haenel, a small German company.
As of July 2024, 2,425 rifles have been handed over to the Ukrainian military, including units of the Special Operations Forces and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. However, the 82nd Brigade continues to use weapons in several calibers, including the Soviet 5.45mm and Western 5.56mm. In addition to the rifles, the brigade also received a batch of Fort-600 40mm hand-held grenade launchers from the Come Back Alive Foundation last month.
ملخص الأخبار
- هانل MK 556 كان من المفترض أن تُنتج بحسب عقد دفاع ألماني فاشل، وكان من المقرر توجيه 120,000 بندقية للجيش الألماني.
- قد تم تحويل 2,425 بندقية إلى الجيش الأوكراني، وخطط لنقل جميع الدُفعات المنتجة للقوات المسلحة الألمانية.
- اللحامون الألمان اعتمدوا على بنادق بمواصفات “ألمانية” ولها حامل أمامي مائل ومخزن قابل للطي ونظام تصوير كوليميتر.
- اللواء 82 مستمر في استخدام أسلحة بعدة عيارات بما في ذلك العيار السوفيتي 5.45 ملم وعيار 5.56 ملم الغربي.
