The US has lost three helicopters in Iraq the last week. Coinsidence?
Well, if the Iranians can manufacture the armor-piercing ammo, they could make their own rifles- it is not THAT difficult. But why on earth make their job easier?
Yep, that's a real weapon for combatting drug smugglers. They often wear military grade ceramic body armor and drive reinforced Humvees. The API rounds would be a fine choice as well. Once you get through Achmeds ceramic plate armor you just really want to see him go up in flames.
Sarcasm off.
L
This is a bit old news!
We should "accidentally" bomb the Austrian Embassy in Tehran.
Tactical neutron bombs are primarily intended to kill soldiers who are protected by armor. Armored vehicles are very resistant to blast and heat produced by nuclear weapons, but steel armor can reduce neutron radiation only by a modest amount so the lethal range from neutrons greatly exceeds that of other weapon effects. The lethal range for tactical neutron bombs can exceed the lethal range for blast and heat even for unprotected troops. Armor can absorb neutrons and neutron energy, thus reducing the neutron radiation to which the tank crew is exposed, but this offset to some extent by the fact that armor can also react harmfully with neutrons. Alloy steels for example can develop induced radioactivity that remains dangerous for some time. When fast neutrons are slowed down, the energy lost can show up as x-rays. Some types of armor, like that of the M-1 tank, employ depleted uranium which can undergo fast fission, generating additional neutrons and becoming radioactive. Special neutron absorbing armor techniques have also been developed, such as armors containing boronated plastics and the use of vehicle fuel as a shield."
"Also called ENHANCED RADIATION WARHEAD, specialized type of small thermonuclear weapon that produces minimal blast and heat but which releases large amounts of lethal radiation. The neutron bomb delivers blast and heat effects that are confined to an area of only a few hundred yards in radius. But within a somewhat larger area it throws off a massive wave of neutron and gamma radiation, which can penetrate armour or several feet of earth. This radiation is extremely destructive to living tissue. Because of its short-range destructiveness and the absence of long-range effect, the neutron bomb would be highly effective against tank and infantry formations on the battlefield but would not endanger cities or other population centres only a few miles away. It can be carried in a Lance missile or delivered by an 8-inch (200-millimetre) howitzer, or possibly by attack aircraft.
So what would you expect from the country that gave the world Adolph Hitler?
The Iranian round sounds like a takeoff on the Russian API projectile. This bullet technology is very effective. Perhaps the round makes a full penetration of 5/8" thick standard high tensile "rolled homogeneous armor" at two hundred yards.
Not good.
Iran openly declares their desire to "wipe Israel off the map" and the Austrians sell them sophisticated weapons.
I am not surprised but still fully disgusted.
what a bunch of socialist democrat hypocrites.
They will gladly sell terrorists nations lethal weapons, but when Arnold lets a gang member who killed 5 people be executed in CA, they got nuts and remove his name from a stadium.
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/machine_guns/mannlicher/mannlicher5.html
lets see, thats $17,762 per rifle, so I'd guess they're for the best of their best revolutionary guard, to help repulse an invasion. That's like 10 years pay for the average iraqi, so they probably won't end up with insurgents.
Steyr wanted to sell these rifles on the US civilian market, like Ronnie Barrett. However, our own government and BATFE denied them the import permits because they're "not for sporting purposes".
Steyr agreed not to sell these to the Iranians if they could sell them to American citizens and our government declined. Steyr, not wanting to go out of business, followed through.
If they show up in Iraq, we'll know where they came from.
Ahh the Germans and Austrians. They have changed little in 65 years.