Daewoo K15
S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries) · Machine Gun · In Service · 2018
Also known as: S&T Daewoo K15, SNT Motiv K15, K15 LMG
Overview
The Daewoo K15 is a South Korean 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun developed by S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries) as a heavily upgraded successor to the K3 SAW. Standardized in late 2018 and delivered to the Republic of Korea Army from December 2022, the K15 retains the gas-operated, belt-fed architecture of the K3 while adding a length-adjustable buttstock, redesigned pistol grip and trigger group, a push-button quick-change barrel, MIL-STD-1913 rails, and integrated day/night electro-optical sighting. It feeds from a 200-round plastic ammunition container and can accept STANAG box magazines in an emergency.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 7160 g (252.6 oz) |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 200 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 1000 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56 NATO — also known as SS109, M855, .223 Remington (similar)
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: 200 Round Plastic Container Belt, Stanag Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Selector Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Push Button Barrel Latch, Barrel Carry Handle, Fluted Barrel, Strengthened Bipod, Length Adjustable Buttstock, Redesigned Pistol Grip Trigger Group, Collapsible Front Sight, Picatinny Rail Feed Cover, Picatinny Rails Handguard, Day Night Optic Ready, Dual Feed Belt Or Box Magazine, Open Bolt Operation
Service history
Operators
- Republic of Korea Armed Forces · adopted 2018 · as K15
Production
Production years: 2022-present
Standardized as the ROK Army next-generation LMG in late 2018; first production batch delivered December 2022. Fielded to progressively replace the K3 SAW; total quantities not openly published.
Origin
Country of origin: South Korea
Notes
K15-specific overall length, barrel length, and muzzle velocity have not been openly published; values shared with the parent K3 (e.g. 533 mm barrel, 1030 mm length) are not assumed here and are left null. Confirmed K15 figures: empty weight 7.16 kg (8.4 kg with full fire-control/optic system), cyclic rate up to 1,000 rpm, effective range ~800 m. Naming note: within the modern S&T/SNT Motiv machine-gun family the K15 is the 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun (K3 successor), while the 7.62x51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun in the same family is the K12 (later redesignated K16). Some secondary sources blur the K12/K15 designations, but primary reporting consistently identifies K15 as the 5.56 LMG.
Background
The K15 is the squad-automatic-weapon member of the modular modern ROK Army machine-gun family alongside the K12/K16 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun, both built by S&T (SNT) Motiv. Conceived as a thorough modernization of the three-decade-old K3 rather than a clean-sheet design, it answers long-standing ROK Army complaints about the K3's reliability and ergonomics with tighter manufacturing tolerances, an adjustable five-position stock, and factory-integrated day/night optics with a thermal sight and laser rangefinder.