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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

3 Projects to Modernize the Assault Rifle Assets of the AFP; M16/M4 Series to Stay with Government Arsenal Improvements

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through the Department of National Defense (DND) is now embarking on modernizing its firearms assets which, like the entire AFP as a whole, needs to be updated and improved with the future in mind. MaxDefense will discuss the 3 separate programs of the DND to improve the firearms supplied to the AFP for the present and for the future. 


The AFP has been a long time user of the M16 rifle. Seen here are Philippine Army Scout Rangers during a recent parade in Manila.


Short Background - M16 Rifle in the AFP:

The AFP has been a longtime user of the 5.56mm M16 rifle which is based on Eugene Stoner's AR-15 design, with initial units coming in from US military excess stocks during the Vietnam War era. The AFP received the M16 and M16A1 variants from the US government, and the country was also allowed to produce a license copy of the M16A1 through Elisco Tool & Manufacturing Company. This would eventually be the source of M16A1 rifles for the majority of the AFP. The last batch of M16A1 rifles received from the US government was through a shipment of 30,000 M16A1 (enhanced) during the term of President Gloria Arroyo as a goodwill gesture from the US President George W. Bush. Aside from the AFP, all government armed agencies are recipients of M16s, majority also coming from the AFP.

Aside from the M16, the AFP also uses other variants of the AR-15 series, including the Colt's CAR-15 carbine, and the M4 carbine all which were sourced from the US. There were also modifications made by the AFP to the M16 to meet certain requirements like the Philippine Marine Corps' Marine Scout Sniper Rifle (MSSR) and the Night Fighting Weapons System (NFWS)


The PMC developed the Marine Scout Sniper Rifle through the guidance of Maj. Gen. Jonathan Martin, now the Government Arsenal Director.
Photo taken from Wikipedia.



1. New Remington R4 Rifles for the AFP:

Finally after a long wait, it is confirmed that American arms manufacturer Remington Arms Company LLC was indeed awarded a contract to supply 50,629 units of assault rifles based on the popular M4 carbine together with spare parts, training support, and accessories. The contract is worth Php 1,944,261,591.66, or almost 40% less than the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of Php 3,189,627,000.00, wherein Remington will be supplying their R4 carbine to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The rifles will then be distributed to the different branches of the AFP, probably majority to the Philippine Army (PA), and will arrive in several batches starting in 2014. Local company P.B. Dionisio and Company is the official local representative of Remington Arms in the Philippines, where it won over the bids coming from Colt Defense LLC, SIG Sauer Inc., and Manroy Defense Systems.


The Remington R4 is the company's version of the widely-used M4 carbine. This would be the next service rifle of the AFP, while older M16s will shoulder on after repairs and refurbishment.
Photo taken from Remington Defense website.

The rifles are meant to supplement and replace early models of the M16 and M16A1 rifle, which is the standard rifle of the entire AFP, majority of which were provided from ex-US military stocks since the 1970s, or were locally produced by the Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company. Many are already in poor condition and will need refurbishing or replacement, which is a separate program within the AFP Modernization Program. 

Product Overview:

The Remington R4 is a 5.56mm caliber rifle based on the proven Colt M4 and M16 series. It weighs around 7 lbs. and has a telescopic stock. It operates on a direct gas impingement and rotating bolt system, and has a rate of fire of between 700 to 950 rounds per minute and a maximum effective range of 600 meters. It has a barrel length of 14.5" with 6 Groove 1:7' right-hand twist that can fire the M855 (SS109) 62-grain ammunition being standardized in the AFP, although it can also fire the older 55-grain M193 ammunition. 

The R4 is capable of being fired in semi-automatic, full-automatic, or burst modes, and the rifle can use the Magpul P-Mag or the standard  GI-type magazines similar to what is already being used by the AFP for the M16 and M4 series. It is also compatible to most M16/M4 accessories and armorer equipment that is already with the AFP.
Members of the Philippine Army's Light Reaction Battalion being presented to President Aquino during an Army presentation of capability. The Philippine military is a major user of the M16 and M4 series rifles, being in service since the late 1960s. 

What's New with this Project?:

This specific procurement project has proven that the government can purchase quality assault rifles for a low price than most procurement projects in the past. For this project, each rifle costs at an average of Php 38,400, or around $869 (as of December 13, 2013 conversion). Previously it is normal for the AFP or all other armed agencies to get a standard rifle at past Php 70,000 price range. For example, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) got their M4 for Php107,000 each. With the amount saved on this project, there would be an additional Php 1 billion that can be used for other projects of the AFP Modernization Program.


Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officers with their M4 carbines. PDEA reportedly paid Php107,000 for each of these M4, as compared to the Php38,400 paid by the AFP for their Remington R4. Very big difference and very scrupulous, isn't it? 

It also shows that the AFP will still see the M16/M4 rifle to shoulder on for the next 20-30 years as its rifle of choice considering the release of newer rifle designs in the world market. This saves the AFP on many factors, including the retraining of the end users (soldiers), armorers that maintain the rifles, and saving the accessories, machinery and other equipment bought by the AFP through the years to support and maintain the rifle type.


2. Repair & Updating of Old M16 Rifles by the Government Arsenal:

Another project that is being pushed by the DND and AFP is the refurbishing of existing M16 rifles, which many are out of service and defective after many years of use. The rifles may either be refurbished back to the original M16 The Government Arsenal (GA) is the primary government agency responsible for undertaking this project as they are, by right, the DND's official arms and ammunition manufacturer and armorer. And with their new capabilities they can now manufacture replacement and provide upgrades to the existing rifles besides repairing them back to top condition.


The photo above shows the condition of the M16s from the AFP before the refurbishing.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.
The needed repair work depends on the actual condition of the rifles, a MaxDefense source said that all are in very poor condition, were damaged both internally and externally, with several missing parts, and majority are not even in firing condition and were only stored by the AFP after finding them as not usable. 



a. M16A1 (enhanced):

According to a post of GA Director Maj. Gen. Jonathan Martir (Ret) in his own Facebook account, the GA received spare parts enough for 8,000 M16A1 rifles from the former Logistics Command (LOGCOM) of the AFP provided by Elisco before they closed down a few decades ago, and through US Foreign Military Sales (FMS). GA also obtained the technical data package of the M16A1 from Elisco,  and several machines and armorer equipment related to the M16A1 repair works. These upgraded rifles are called the M16A1 (enhanced) which is similar to what was made by the US armed forces for their National Guard units. The refurbishing includes the use of a new standard 20-inch 1:12 groove barrel, and new internal parts including the firing pin. Aside from the barrel and internals, GA retained the A1 receivers after repairs, and uses the newer A2-type hand guards, pistol grip, and fixed stocks.

The photo above shows what the M16A1 look like after the GA refurbishing and upgrade, and are called the M16A1 (enhanced). It now resembles an M16A2 although A1 barrels and receivers were retained.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.

Aside from the above described rifles, some were repaired and refurbished by GA according to the different requirements of the AFP.



b. M16 Dissipator:

Another upgrade version made by GA, called the M16 Dissipator and released on May 2013, uses a 16-inch long barrel with a 1:7 RH twist and chrome-lined chamber, installed with a GA-produced muzzle break, and addition of GA-produced enhanced trigger guard, tactical latch for charging handle, an ambidextrous safety selector, and a 1-point sling adapter. Buttstock can either be a Magpul adjustable type, or a A2 fixed buttstock although initial versions were produced with the Magpul adjustable type. 

video feature of the rifle was also posted in GA's Facebook page. These updates will also be included in the M16A1 refurbishing program, and also for those to be converted to M4 carbine (14.5-inch barrel) standard.


Some of the M16A1s were refurbished to follow the proposed future service rifle of the AFP, with a 16-inch barrel in 1:7 RH twist groove and A2-type parts. Photo doesn't show the GA-manufactured muzzle break.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.

GA's M16 "Dissipator" mode, a 16-inch barrel length version with enhanced features.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.



The first batch of refurbished M16s in enhanced and 16-inch versions were turned-over to the AFP on December 2012, and it was projected that the GA can refurbish at around 500 rifles every month for 2013. Several batches were already handed over to the AFP on both the 20-inch M16A1 (enhanced) and 16-inch M16 Dissipator versions.


AFP officers checking out GA's refurbished rifles during the handover of the 1st batch on December 2012.
Photo taken from Government Arsenal's Facebook page.
Another batch of 490 M16A1 (enhanced) and 25 M16A1 Dissipators were handed-over to the AFP on May 2013.
Photo taken from Government Arsenal's Facebook page. 




c. M4 Carbine-type:

Another refurbishment followed the M4 carbine standard, which uses a 1:7 RH twist groove in a 14.5-inch long barrel and telescopic stock, although it retained the original A1-type receivers, including being a fully automatic model similar to the M4A1. It was also installed with the GA-developed muzzle break and cycle reducer. The cycle reducer brings down the rate of fire of the M4 from around 910rpm to 600rpm. The initial batch of these upgrades were made for the GA's own Security Force

GA's own Security Force were issued with M16A1 refurbished into M4A1 configuration, although it retained the A1-receivers. It also received GA's muzzle break and cycle reducer. A testament of GA's armorer capabilities.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.



There are plans that once the spare parts taken from LOGCOM are all used up, GA will then turn to purchase new parts to further upgrade existing M16 rifles in the Philippine government. 

Several M16A1 rifles from the AFP have already undergone the refurbishing project, and this project is expected to continue and cover most of the AFP's old rifles. Besides the AFP, the other M16-equipped armed agencies can also avail of this program as prescribed by the government, which includes the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and others.



3. Production of Locally-made M16 and M4 Rifles by the Government Arsenal:

The third part of the AFP future rifle program is for GA to be self-sufficient in producing its own M16 derived firearms. Proposed by the GA is to use the 5.56mm 62-grain M855 (SS109) ammunition, which is now being produced by the GA as well. This is to improve on compatibility and inter-operability with the US armed forces, as well as to make use of the improvements from the development of the ammunition. The barrel will be made of chrome moly or stainless steel with a 1:7 right hand twist and chrome-lined chamber, and will be according to milspec. It will also have a semi and select fire options.


The GA 14.5" Recon/SOF 5.56mm rifle, as shown during one of the local gun shows in Manila.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal's Facebook page.

3 variants were proposed by the GA, with the following descriptions as described by GA Director Martir:
  1. Service Rifle Model - this model will replace the M16A1 with the AFP, and is similar to the M16 Dissipator upgrade made by GA, as discussed a few paragraphs above. It will have a 16-inch standard contour barrel length with an A2-style rounded hand guards, the GA-produced muzzle break and bayonet sling, A2 front and upper receiver-installed rear sights and fixed carry handle, A2 fixed buttstock, and provisions for grenade launcher. 
  2. Recon/SOF Model - this model follows the M4 being used by most Special Operation Forces of Western armed forces, and will be used in the same way as the Philippines' counterparts. It will have a 14.5-inch standard contour barrel length, Picatinny rail and rail adapter system with milspec rail spaces,  flattop upper receiver with fixed cartridge case deflector, detachable carry handle, flip-up front sights, M4 4-position telescopic buttstock, and is capable of accepting SOPMOD accessories and grenade launcher. 
  3. DMR/SPR Model - a designated marksman or special purpose rifle following the lines of the Philippine Marine Corps' MSSR rifle, filing the gap between the regular infantryman and a sniper. It would have an effective range of up to 800 meters with optics. It will have an 18-inch bull free-floated barrel with an A2 standard flash suppressor, folding front and rear sights, Picatinny rail and flattop upper receiver, a special buttstock design as determined.
The 3 proposed 5.56mm rifle types of the GA based on the M16 series. From left to right: The 14.5" Recon/SOF model, the 18" DMR/SPR model, and the 16" Service Rifle model.
Photo taken from the Government Arsenal Facebook page.


With these 3 separate projects, we can see improvements on the service firearms of the AFP, and possibly of all other major armed agencies of the Philippine government. The most simple reason holds the key to this decision: practicality. Unlike Thailand and Singapore which shifted from the M16 to the Tavor and SAR-21, respectively, the AFP is not in an advantageous situation in skill, infrastructure and financial reasons to jump away from a proven platform. 

The AFP is already a longtime user of the M16 series, and has invested heavily on the rifle type since the late 1960s. Its personnel started and ended their careers with mastering the M16, its armorer's skills and equipment already in place, and with thousands of accessories and upgradable parts available in the market and within production capability of the GA, plus the unquestionable and proven capability of the rifle vis-a-vis its modern competitors has proven that the M16 series will stay for a considerable time in the future as a weapon of choice not only by the Philippines but also with the rest of the world.


A Philippine Marine Corps infantryman getting hands-on learning on the M16A4 used by the US Marines. Like the US, the Philippines will see the M16 series as part of its armed forces for several more decades to come.
Photo taken from the Marine Corps Times website.


MaxDefense believes that this decision by the DND, GA and the AFP is a wise one, and must be given importance as this is the most basic weapon of the entire modernization program. 3 different firearm programs, all into improving the AFP's infantrymen's capability and giving the best weapon the Republic has to offer to its soldiers. 





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UPDATES:
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June 24, 2014:

The Philippine Army is scheduled to receive the initial batch of Remington R4 carbine from the USA by July 2014. The first 27,000 units are said to be immediately sent to front line army units, MaxDefense believes that the first units to receive are the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and units under the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). SOCOM may already have familiarity with the rifle, being similar to their existing M4 carbine. 



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July 17, 2014:

A speech of Pres. Benigno Aquino III during the opening of Asian Defense and Security (ADAS) Exhibition 2014 confirmed that aside from the initial order of 50,629 units of Remington R4 carbine ordered by the Army, it has added another 12,657 units using some of the budget saved from the tender. This brings the total order to 63,286 units. 

52 comments:

  1. Wishing for more good news for AFP before the year ends

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    1. what about the PVAR sir max?

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    2. Unfortunately the PVAR was not chosen by the AFP, instead it awarded a contract to Remington.

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    3. super sayang, believe na believe pa namar ako sa PVAR which is currently used by our navsog. sayang laking tulong sana ito sa local arms industry to further expansions of their R& D efforts.
      Pvar filipino pride assault rifle just keep going!!!!

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    4. hindi pumasa sa test ang PVAR. lots of issues,i heard may mga kailangan pang ayusin sa design nila. so dont be dissapointed sa government natin dahil nakataya ang buhay ng mga sundalo natin. reliability first.

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    5. totoo na di pumasa ang PVAR dahil sa mga issues pero sana lang di sila mawalan ng gana bagkus ideveloped nila ang product ng mas mabuti, only then the govt will buy the product that they have , our soldiers lives is at stake to protect the motherland and is people

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    6. What I know is that all these are just rumors from their enemies and competitors. No one has so far come out with a written test and evaluation that says of "failure". On the contrary, UDMC have come out with passing marks in the written test and evaluation from the Army, Navy and PNP. Ang sabi pa ng may-ari, hindi nila kami dapat siraan. Sino ba naman kami para mag-compete sa mga big guns like Colt and Remington.

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    7. Will sir Max please verify this? Is it true that the GA is busy repairing the rear sights of these Remingtons as they keep on falling off due to loose assembly? Is it also true that the latest batch of rifles failed the PDI coz of defective barrels? The problem has already reached the SND and he has ordered a full evaluation and how to claim on the warranty.

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    8. News on any Remington rifle defects for the AFP haven't reached my part yet. Let me have some time to look for something on this. May I know where you got the information?

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    9. I'm sorry sir Max, but I have to protect our source but I'm sure you have your own sources to validate from.

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    10. Max, you may want to check out from the ASCOM and TRADOC their separate and independent tests and evaluations of the Remington rifles, first batch delivery. Baaad news. The thing is, even before, the first batch passed the PDI's, the DND already placed a repeat order for 25% of the original order. I heard Colt is back in the running. DND to cancel the remaining order from Remington.

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  2. I am dissapointed of our government by this project just bcos of favoring the foreighn supplier instead of our local manufacturer. this local manufacturer (not to mention) almost double their effort to have a worthwhile and affordable armaments to offer with our government thru bidding but still aquino government do favor the foreighn one for such unreliable reason.somehow this government cannot help to subsidize our own resources to produce such weaponry and help improve our economy.

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    1. I was expecting a comment regarding this. I believe the local manufacturer you are referring to is the arms manufacturer based in Paranaque City. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to make comments on this because I have conflicting information both from the DND and AFP, and have also encountered information from both the pros and cons side.

      But the GENERAL point of view of the military and DND for rejecting their offer was more on trust and confidence on the product. I cannot attest on this as I have never actually saw or tried the rifle, not I was present to see the tests done myself except for videos from the manufacturer in Youtube.

      Better if somebody with knowhow of the transaction can share here on MaxDefense.

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    2. United Defense Mfg Corp (UDMC) did not offer any of their PVAR nor DGIS rifles to the AFP or the DND. Even if they offered it, the procurement process was through competitive bidding which immediately disqualifies them under the rule of a past "Single Largest Contract" which is required by R.A. 9184. The SLC must be equivalent to 50% of the 50,000+ rifles which was awarded to Remington. UDMC does not have that SLC and it would have been useless for them to offer or even participate in the bidding. With regard to the quality of their firearms, it would best for interested parties to go to the UDMC website where the official the test and evaluation of the NAVSOG (7,000 rounds) is posted. UDMC's rifles were also tested by the Army's RDC (6,000 rounds) and the PNP's DRD (5,000 rounds) with official copies of the results of the test and evaluation available upon request from the units mentioned.

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    3. So your reason is more on the bid requirements stipulated in the law. This is actually a problem that I believe some groups in Congress are trying to remedy. Until this requirement stays, the only way the local manufacturers join the bidding is either by becoming a representative on behalf of a foreign bidder, or as a licensed manufacturer for the foreign bidder. If UDMC can get a license from a major arms manufacturer, then it also solves their qualification issue.

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    4. With regards to the test results, that's where the conflict of information starts. MaxDefense information from sources within the AFP shows some problems with the UDMC rifles' performance, but some also say otherwise.

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    5. Sir Max, I know UDMC myself and I have first-hand knowledge. The incumbent AFP-J4, MGen Bayani was the Army RDC commander when the UDMC rifles were tested some years ago. RDC gave the PVAR passing marks both in accuracy and in reliability, in both brand new rifles and installed as kits on the Army's A1 rifles. I was able to read the the test and evaluation myself. The AFP should allow UDMC to publish this report or at least say something about the success of the project.

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  3. We can use the remaining budget to add in frigate or FA-50 budget if the peso currency slow down.. or it might be that the budget for the rifle saved will directed to DAP.

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    1. The excess was reportedly used for the 155mm artillery project.

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  4. the refurbished short barrel is more accurate less recoil and easy to carry, only the noise when firing, it is so loud it hurts ur ears but over all its a good rifle for our soldiers,just put some ear plugs :)

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  5. I believe that the local manufacturer was rejected because it failed during a demo. although changes and improvement can be made, the local manufacturer can still sell to the government like the PNP, customs police, forest rangers, and other law enforcement agencies of the government needing assault rifles. so this local manufacturer should not give up and they can also design a different one or lets say a bullpop platform and prove themselves and their products. it should not be the end of the business for them although now that the civilians cannot buy assault rifles, it can be hard for them as far as market is concerned.

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  6. we must know how to support our local manufacturing of this military hardware.. AFP needs to supervise and engage with this local company so satisfaction must be recognize in both AFP and this local producer so all of us Filipinos will benefits to improve our economy and jobs creation. This will also develop and improve our own resources to produce such new technology by exchanging some ideas with our engineers and AFP... let us support our local company in all ways!!!!!!!!

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  7. Lets Support The Government Arsenal (GA) in their trying their best to do their mandate as the DND's official arms and ammunition manufacturer and armorer. The GA is trying to modernize their equipment to improve their capabilities and efficiency in making sure that they provide the best possible product for the military. The GA as of now i think cannot provide all the needs of the armed forces but they are trying and the support even from a simple Pinoy to their efforts to improved and modernize their equipment and buy new ones to better provide for the military and police is needed and greatly appreciated.

    To the products that the GA cannot yet provide then it is appreciated if the military do buy made in the philippines and by a filipino company BUT nationalism or for some buying made in philippines should not be the main reason for buying a product that the GA cannot yet provide. When it comes to Guns, Ammo's and military equipment. Quality should not come second to pinoy pride of buying philippine made. The lives of filipino soldiers/police depends on these guns/bullets/equipments thus Quality should always be prioritize on the very top. if a foreign company offers the best quality for a product than a filipino company has to offer then the Department of National Defense should choose the foreign company than the filipino company as i say repeatedly when it comes to lives of our soldiers/police it should be Quality and not Pinoy Pride.

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    1. so, you will be the one can be a great help to our economy. what a shameful person you are. The lives of every Filipino and millions of us rely on our job that has our respective family has and if we do not support our local manufacturer how can we develop and improve the quality of our products and help sustain our economy.? what do you think the best time that we have to move on and buy a filipino made armaments? Lem1

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    2. Lem, part of the agreement with Remington is to provide technical know-how to the Government Arsenal. That is for them to enable to improve the GA-series of M16 and M4 rifles that will be locally produced. Quality comes first before Filipino pride. The locally made products failed to meet the AFP requirements. There could be no compromise to quality, and that's what our troops will prefer to gamble their lives with.

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    3. How can Remington provide the technical knowhow when their rifles have been rejected by the AFP during the Pre-Delivery Inspections (PDI)? Baka mas marunong pa and GA sa kanila.

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  8. They should start R&D on bullpup designs. Shortens the over-all length.without sacrificing the barrel length. They could have a service rifle that's also good for recon/SOF. Sooner than later, we are going that way (bullpup). We don't have to change everything but at least, R&D on special small forces will iron out kinks and improve the product over time (before eventual integration in the service)

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    1. The bullpop design was not accepted by the AFP. The last time an offer was made was by the Singaporeans with their SAR-21, and the Israelis with their Tavor. Although they looked good and performed well, the AFP still prefer the M16 and M4 out of practicality. Besides, the GA with its limited funding may have difficulty in R&D for bullpop design and will probably better off getting a proven design to start with.

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  9. Good day sir. I was searching online for a 7" SIR handguard when I chanced upon this blog and I must say, it is very informative and morale boosting. I am a rifleman detailed herein ComVal and Id like to share my thoughts on this. I am in agreement with the premise that we are better off with the AR platform rather that adopting a new weapons system. The m16 has withstood the test of time and (not to mention)grind. With new weapons system, the Armed services have to reconfigure trainings and doctrines as well as CSSS. It is not because we're adamant and afraid to change that we're sticking to our M16. We also have to take into account our capability to procure and extend support to end users when the need for repairs arise. With current capability of our GA as well as proliferating milspec aftermarket parts for the AR, the potential for this weapon system is endless(Markmans' AR, CQB AR, Veh Crew AR, Multi_mission AR). What we do need are dependable steel mags to go with our M16 and we're set to go.
    Meron na po tayong maaasahang M16, ayusin na lang po natin, reconfigure ayon sa paggagamitan, turuan maglinis ang mga kasundaluhan, bigyan ng maayos na magazine pati na rin LBEs (hindi napagaralan maige bandolier galing QMS). Gwapo ang TAVOR, SAR etc pero ang motto dapat natin utility, practicality, reliability over aesthetics. Kahit Tavor kung hindi alam nasaan ang kalaban useless din, invest din tayo (more) sa intel eqpts.
    Sa hindi nabigyan ng kontrata well you win some you lose some, tulungan at respeto lang para umunlad AFP.
    In parting, this is yet the wisest AFP move with regards to our service rifle.To GA, kudos. At a rate of 500 m16 refurbished/month sana maramdaman dito Eastmincom mid2014. To our blogger, thanks sir montero sir

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    1. Hi Mr. Rifleman, thank you for your very informative inputs! One of the reasons why the M16 was retained was to avoid the need for the entire armed forces to re-train again on a new rifle, to maximize the armorer's skills and current tools/equipment, and to maximize the numerous parts available in the market. I believe the DND and AFP in cooperation with the GA are planning to make training on the rifle use, maintenance/cleaning, and repair a regular routine. As for the magazines, I believe GA has started to make an undertaking to fix this never-ending problem plaguing the AFP's M16 magazines. I also know there were previous deliveries of new magazines from the US.
      If you noticed GA's proposed line, the standard will have a 16" barrel instead of the 20" used today. That is a good compromise between the 20" and 14.5" carbine, in my opinion considering that there are comments from the army and marines saying that in the Philippine setting you can't maximize the range provided by the 20" barrel although 14.5" might fall short in some cases. No idea if the mounted armored/mechanize infantry find the 14.5" suitable but I think it is.
      According to GA's end of 2013 comment on Facebook, they have successfully refurbished at least 1,500 M16A1 rifles both to enhanced and 16" Dissipator versions (although there are only several dozens of the Dissipators released by GA). I believe that the 500 rifles/month is their maximum capacity but it depends on how many rifles the AFP hand-over to them for refurbishing. Let's see how fast they could do this 2014, plus we expect some of the Remington R4 to be delivered this year. Let me know if you receive one as your standard issue.Good luck to you and your unit in EastMinCom!

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  10. good job for GA. this is the R&D of the AFP, their budget should be increased and hire more engineers and technicians

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    1. Yes, R&D funding should be increased to cover work on machine guns and grenade launchers which are basic to the infantryman. Then we can start with special ammunition such as airburst. Remember the rifle grenades which according to some soldiers are duds.

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  11. it would be better if they awarded it to the local manufacturers in that way local industies will be encouraged to produce quality and affordable weapons and also to improve their capabilities to create, refurbish , convert, upgrade weapons

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  12. Sobrang nasaktan ako noong nalaman ko noong una na ung sarili nating producto hindi tinangkilik ng sarili nating gobyerno. :( nakakaiyak man pero tinangap ko na rin at inisip na sana sa pagbili ng sinasabi nilang producto ng ibang bansa ( na mas mahusay daw) ay may matutunan na bagong kaalaman ang mga kababayan natin na gumagawa ng armas dito sa ating bansa. God Bless Phils.

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    1. The local products that you were saying were said to not be able to meet MILSPEC standards for rifles, and failed in several tests according to MaxDefense sources. The DND did give the local companies a shot at the requirements before it ended up going for more established foreign products.

      Good news is, the deal may include a possible license to build Remington rifles by the Government Arsenal.

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    2. yep that's what i heard too. di pumasa sa evaluation test. until now, wla pa ngang review ng Sniper rifle nila, para sana malaman natin how it performs... pero saludo ako sa GA, laki ng natipid natin ng dahil sa kanila.

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    3. Huwag tayo maniwala sa mga sabi-sabi. Kung talagang merong test ang AFP at yan eh formal evaluation na nakasulat at pirmado, yan dapat an paniwalaan natin at hindi yung mga paninira lang sa isang Pilipino manufacturer.

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    4. Sir Max, the word "MILSPECS" had been used and overused so many times before. May we know the definition of this word MILSPECS? Is there really such a word?

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    5. MILSPEC (literally meaning MILitary SPECifications) defines materiel or equipment that are strictly made according to military requirements and specifications.

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  13. I wish that our A1s here at SPD swat be replaced with modern assault rifles, we are operating at urban areas but our rifles are as old as my father, and it is not for CQB. I wish that the government notice us also (PNP) and modernize our equipments.

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    1. The PNP has a separate acquisition program, but I'm not sure if they already have a new program to replace old M16A1 rifles. So far can actually modernize their equipment easier than the AFP because it is a civilian entity and has a lot of access to funding compared to the military.

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  14. Why not Armscor, Ferfrans and United Defense collaborate and join hands together then produce a rifle that exceeds much more beyond the specs of the AFP. They might even create modern weapons more reliable than the M16 design. And why not GA do ignite this initiative? Three heads are better than one, huh?

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  15. There were plans during Ramos' time to privatize and modernize the GA. But I understand some people have been stalling it, until this day.

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  16. If the Government is going to go through the trouble of buying new rifles, why not at least buy the best rifle they can get, or at least get the best version of the rifle they looking at. Why didn't they say order the R-4 Gas Piston Carbine (GPC) with the "GAS PISTON" and free float rail? But instead the Government bought the Remington R4 that operates on a "DIRECT GAS IMPINGEMENT and rotating bolt system". That's a bad news! Why? Reliability Issues, Direct Impingement the original technology gas goes through tube from barrel to bolt carrier and forces the bolt back gas comes out through ejection port? less recoil because gas is directed to the bolt the bolt gets hot and dirty quickly(that's sucks because the bolt assembly must be protected from excessive heat, high pressure gasses and carbon build up and causes jams putting the soldiers life in danger. Frequent cleaning is required performing such cleaning regiment in the battlefield like in Vietnam during the 70's). Unlike GAS PISTON its the total opposite of DIRECT GAS IMPINGEMENT. Kindly watch this Videos for more info http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3TVsekcFWo & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PdgMOK2BF8. But there is a solution for the "DIRECT GAS IMPINGEMENT" problem change it into "GAS PISTON" a challenge task for Government Arsenal if they can fabricate their own bolt carrier, gas block and piston rod. watch this Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spOZqpMLldQ

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  17. Could there be another written test and evaluation where it is rumored that they failed? This link was directly downloaded from the website of UDMC. Unless proven by another test and evaluation, perhaps this is it:
    http://www.udmc-weapons.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NAVSOG%20Test%20and%20Evaluation%20Report%20on%20the%20F5-PVAR%20Assault%20Rifle.pdf

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    1. Hmmm ... so if this test and evaluation report is the basis that says the PVAR passed 7,000 rounds, I wonder who are those saying that their rifles failed the tests. Baka yung mga hindi nila nabigyan ng product samples :) But anyway, they should be happy because bad rumors are still good publicity. By and large, we should encourage them to persevere as an "All-Filipino" company.

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    2. ASCOM-RDC has data and pictures about the rejections, independently from the evaluation of the TRADOC-MTU

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    3. Yes sir Max, ASCOM and TRADOC have aleady reported these failures in the Remington rifles to Gen, Catapang and Sec. Gazmin with the pictures and written tests outcome.

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  18. Recommendation ko lang: Pwede bang mga Ak-47 o kahit anong Ak variants ang gamitin ng ating bansa?: dahil unang una ito ay reliable, ang ating mga battleground ay mga gubat at maraming putik at dumi, per ang AK ay di na jajam at unting maintenance lang ay kailangan, panglawa ito ay higit na mas mura kaysa sa mga M16 o AR15, kung mababa nga ang badyet natin sa defence, edi kailangan mura ang ating mga armas pero matibay rin.

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  19. this rifles are amazing. I loved it, really appreciatable.

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  20. These are simply amazing guns, but improvement and advancement is the rule of nature so up gradation is also good. But people who are nicely trained after joining any Firearms safety training classes should be allowed to have that guns.
    Regards:
    http://www.bostonfirearms.com

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  21. for Special Forces, there need some HK416 D14.5RS & SCAR-Light for Special Forces Regiment, Scout Rangers, Light Reaction, NAVSOG & 710th SPOW. provided with parts & accessories to customize your own rifles.

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