UKM-2000
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2020) |
UKM-2000 | |
---|---|
![]() UKM-2000P | |
Type | General-purpose machine gun |
Place of origin | Poland |
Service history | |
Used by | Poland |
Wars | Iraq War War in Afghanistan Russo-Ukrainian War |
Production history | |
Designed | 2000 |
Manufacturer | Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów |
Variants | UKM-2000P, UKM-2000D, UKM-2000C, UKM-2000CL |
Specifications | |
Mass | 8.4 kg (18.52 lb) (P) 8.9 kg (19.62 lb) (D) 10.7 kg (23.59 lb) (C/CL) |
Length | 1,203 mm (47.4 in) (P/D) 1,098 mm (43.2 in) (C/CL) |
Barrellength | 547 mm (21.5 in) (P/D) 636 mm (25.0 in) (C/CL) |
Width | 91.5 mm (3.60 in) |
Height | 212 mm (8.3 in) (P/D) 117 mm (4.6 in) (C/CL) |
Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO |
Action | Gas-operated,open bolt |
Rate of fire | 700-850 rounds/min Practical: 250 rounds/min |
Muzzle velocity | 840 m/s (2,756 ft/s) (P/D) 850 m/s (2,789 ft/s) (C/CL) |
Effective firing range | 1,500 m (1,640 yd) |
Feed system | DisintegratingM13belt100 or 200 (P/D) or 250-round ((C/CL)) in ammunition boxes |
TheUKM-2000(Uniwersalny Karabin Maszynowy,"Universal Machine Gun" ) is a7.62×51mm NATOgeneral-purpose machine gundesigned and manufactured byZakłady Mechaniczne TarnówinTarnów,Poland.
Development
[edit]On March 12, 1999, Poland joined theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO). A problem arose with modifying the weapons of thePolish Armyto use the standard NATO ammunition. A decision was made to develop a new general-purpose machine gun. The construction was based on the design of the successfulPKM machine gunthat was previously produced under licence in Poland.
To use the common NATO ammunition, the feeding method of the machine gun had to be fundamentally modified. The metallicdisintegrating linkspecifically designed forammunition belt-fedfirearmsand rimless7.62×51mm NATOroundsused by NATO is a push-through design. The UKM machine gun extracts 7.62×51mm NATO rounds from open-M13 linksby pushing them forward out of the link directly into the chamber for firing. The non-disintegrating closed-link metallic belt type used in the PKM machine gun is a pull-out design, which extracts the rimmed7.62×54mmRrounds by pulling them rearward out of the link. In the second stage, the rimmed rounds are pushed forward into the chamber for firing. The 7.62×54mmR machine gun feed pawl mechanism is radically different than that of 7.62×51mm NATO chambered machine guns based on theMG 42machine gun feeding method, using a small, simple pivoting arm pushed out to the right side by the bolt carrier, rather than a much larger (and therefore much heavier) articulated feed cam, lever, and pawl assembly.
The UKM-2000 is a primary general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) on most vehicles used by Polish Forces in Afghanistan (Cougar H,MaxxPro Dash,M-ATV,Humvee) and is a coaxial machine gun inKTO Rosomakand Polish-modernizedBRDM-2.
There is a proposal to modernize the Polish UKM-2000 GPMG fed by7.62×51mm NATOto the new UKM-2013 standard. The upgraded GPMG will be equipped with a new folding and telescopic buttstock with a cheekpiece and additional grip/pod, the integrated Picatinny rail with iron sight and 3-rail forehand attached to the gas tube, a new grip, a new cocking handle, a new safety switch selector, a new 440-mm barrel (as an option) plus some additional internal changes. The Polish Army is interested in this machine gun fed from the 100-round soft ammo bag instead of a steel box. Because of external similarity to the Russian PKM GPMG chambered to the 7.62×54mmR some elements like a buttstock, a grip or a forehand with rails will be able to be used with the Kalashnikov design.[1]
Variants
[edit]- UKM-2000C(L)- coaxial version of UKM-2000, successor of the PKT. Use onKTO Rosomakand some Polish modernizedBRDM-2.Modifications include the removal of the stock, a longer and heavier barrel, a gas regulator and an electric solenoid trigger.
- UKM-2000D- airborne version with folding stock, limited use inPolish Armed Forces
- UKM-2000P- standard GPMG version, some also equipped with MIL-STD-1913 rail.
- UKM-2000Z- first attempt to modernization of UKM-2000, newtelescoping stockand black polymer pistol grip. It wasn't adopted.
- UKM-2013C(L)- modernization of UKM-2000C(L) presented in 2012
- UKM-2013P- modernization of UKM-2000P presented in 2012, better ergonomy and functionality, new folding and telescopic buttstock with a cheekpiece and additional grip/pod, the integrated Picatinny rail with iron sight and 3-rail forehand attached to the gas tube, new grip, new cocking handle new safety switch selector, a new 440-mm barrel (as an option) plus some additional internal changes, new soft ammo bag instead of typical for PK family steel box magazine[2]
- UKM-2000M/UKM-2015- version that presumably was in testing mid-2014, probably for introduction in 2015[3][4]
The L in a coaxial version denotes the ammunition is fed from the left instead of from the right.
Operators
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/UKM-2000_Users.png/220px-UKM-2000_Users.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Ex_STEADFAST_JAZZ_%2810710370233%29.jpg/220px-Ex_STEADFAST_JAZZ_%2810710370233%29.jpg)
Poland- around 1200 examples used byPolish Land ForcesandMilitary Gendarmerie,around 2,500 on order (UKM-2000M version)[5]
Nigeria- ca. 50 used (version with wooden buttstock)[6]
Ukraine- unknown number (given to Ukraine from June 2022)[7]
References
[edit]- ^"Polish Modernised UKM-2013 Machine Gun - The Firearm Blog".The Firearm Blog.3 September 2012. Archived fromthe originalon February 24, 2023.Retrieved8 October2014.
- ^"Polish Modernised UKM-2013 Machine Gun -".3 September 2012. Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2022.
- ^"Zmodyfikowany UKM-2000M od 2015? - Altair Agencja Lotnicza".Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2022.Retrieved8 October2014.
- ^"MSPO 2015: Modernized UKM-2000P For The Polish Army | Defence24".Archived fromthe originalon March 20, 2023.
- ^"Polish Armed Forces upgrade PKMs".The Firearm Blog.2015-09-08.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2023.Retrieved2021-04-23.
- ^"e-RAPORT MSPO 4/2016 - Nigeryjskie sukcesy polskiej zbrojeniówki - Altair Agencja Lotnicza".altair.pl.Archived fromthe originalon April 5, 2023.Retrieved2021-04-23.
- ^Oryx."A European Powerhouse: Polish Military Aid To Ukraine".Oryx.Archived fromthe originalon May 23, 2023.Retrieved2022-09-13.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)