Daewoo K11
S&T Daewoo Co., Ltd. · Assault Rifle · Discontinued · 2010
Also known as: K11, XK11, S&T Daewoo K11, SNT Motiv K11
Overview
The Daewoo K11 is a South Korean dual-barrel air-burst assault rifle that combines a 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifle with an over-barrel 20x30mm grenade launcher in a single bullpup platform. Developed by the Agency for Defense Development and manufactured by S&T Daewoo, it integrates an electronic fire control unit with a laser rangefinder, ballistic computer and day/night optics to detonate programmable 20mm air-burst grenades over or behind cover. Fielding began around 2010 but was repeatedly halted after fire control and ammunition reliability defects, and the program was ultimately cancelled.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 6100 g (215.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 860 mm (33.86") |
| Barrel Length | 310 mm (12.20") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 945 m/s (3100 fps) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Matte |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as .223 Remington, 5.56 NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Bullpup Layout, Dual Barrel, Integrated Fire Control System, Laser Rangefinder, Ballistic Computer, Air Burst Munition Capability, Day Night Optical Sight
Service history
Operators
- Republic of Korea Armed Forces · adopted 2010 · as K11
Production
Production years: 2010-2020
Produced in limited quantities for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces; procurement repeatedly suspended due to defects before the program was cancelled.
Origin
Country of origin: South Korea
Designer: Agency for Defense Development (ADD)
Discontinued: 2020
Notes
The 20mm grenade launcher component fires manually-cycled programmable air-burst rounds (K167 HE, K168 TP) and is fed from a 5-round box magazine. The 5.56mm rifle component uses a gas-operated rotating bolt and a 30-round STANAG-pattern magazine. Persistent fire control unit cracking, optic and ammunition fuzing problems led the South Korean military to suspend procurement multiple times before terminating the program around 2018-2020.
Background
Conceived as South Korea's answer to the American XM29 OICW air-burst weapon concept, the K11 promised to let a single soldier engage enemies behind cover with computer-timed 20mm grenades. After years of high-profile reliability failures, including cracked fire control units, it became a cautionary tale for the air-burst weapon idea.