Distribution of Special Operations Submachine Guns, Delayed by Security Breach, to Begin This Month

Type 1 Special Operations Program Halted Due to Information Leak
K17 Produced by SNT Motive to Be Supplied Starting This Year

Firing of the special operations 5.56mm STC16 submachine gun. Photo by SNT Motive

The South Korean military's new submachine gun for special operations, the 'K17', will be distributed starting this month. The plan is to completely replace the K1A, which is currently the main submachine gun used by special forces units, by next year.

On July 16, a government official stated, "The new 5.56mm submachine gun 'K17', produced by SNT Motive, has completed all acceptance inspections and mass deliveries will begin on the 20th," adding, "Approximately 1,500 units will be supplied this year and around 14,000 units next year as part of the Type 1 Special Operations Submachine Gun program."

The special operations submachine gun program is divided into Type 1 and Type 2 projects. The Type 1 project, a program to replace aging submachine guns in special forces units, involves approximately 16,000 units. In June 2020, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) selected Dasan Machineries as the preferred bidder for the Type 1 program, planning to develop a new submachine gun based on the DSAR-15 series. However, after Dasan Machineries was found to have leaked military secrets, the project was completely halted at the end of 2021.

Instead of continuing with the Type 1 program, DAPA decided to proceed first with the Type 2 program. SNT Motive was selected for the Type 2 program as well, supplying around 1,710 K13 rifles to special forces units. Subsequently, DAPA resumed the previously suspended Type 1 program. During bid evaluations between 2021 and 2024, Dasan Machineries received penalty points; however, after the sanctions were lifted, the project resumed, raising allegations of preferential treatment for a specific company. Dasan Machineries made another attempt to participate, but defects were found during the procurement testing and evaluation process, leading to its exclusion from the final selection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.