Australian army has a new knife.

[DocJD]

 

[Fixall]

I think many forget that the raison d'etre of 'the infantry' is 'to close with, and kill the enemy'.
For far too long the infantry, in general, has been restricted by political will to being held in FOBs and not being allowed to dominate the ground (granted it's in a very civilian contested environment) due to a lack of stomach for casualties.
Infantry should be expected to engage in hand to hand combat, and should also be suitably equipped.
The dumbing down of infantry training is concerning. Very little training in using non-issue weapons, lack of hand to hand combat, lack of bayonet and knife training - partly because of the reluctance to have some 'deadly and aggressive' soldiers during peacetime.
If you leave it till a time of war when 90% of your force doesn't have the training or the skills, it's too late.

And Calvary should ride horses.

 

[DocJD]

At least they picked a great shotgun .

 

[dirc]

i would love to read the benefit doc/justification for .300 blackout... maybe i'm unaware

 

[Ruari]

And Calvary should ride horses.

If you want to get into nitty gritty, Calvary should remain the location of the crucifixion...
Cavalry method of mobility changed in WW1, infantry still use the LFV (Leather Fighting Vehicle) as the method of mobility.

 

[DocJD]

i would love to read the benefit doc/justification for .300 blackout... maybe i'm unaware

Too many video games ?

That could explain the ring dagger , as well .

 

[Deino]

i would love to read the benefit doc/justification for .300 blackout... maybe i'm unaware

It is not for standard rifle, but for PDW lik3 carbine and SMG role, for crew members, which generally needs more compact weapon. The .300blk is proven to be decent for short barrel system and pack more punch than 5.56 in its intended purpose.

 

[Drop bear]

I couldn’t tell from the article if .300 blk was intended to be the standard infantry caliber or application specific. Or maybe I just found it a bit incredulous.

In the correct situation, a very good choice; as a standard infantry caliber, hmmm, IDK……Maybe it suggests what the ADF sees as its future field of engagement.

Bigger rounds for body armour is supposed to be the thought.

 

[Drop bear]

i would love to read the benefit doc/justification for .300 blackout... maybe i'm unaware

Your army is thinking of a caliber change as well.

I have no idea if they are trying to do the same thing or different things

NGSW signifies an evolution in Soldier lethality

WASHINGTON –- The future Soldier will soon be significantly more lethal. The Army recently announced that the Next Generation Squad Weapon, the XM5 rif...

www.army.mil

 

[Drop bear]

I would have thought a knife of similar shape and balance could have been configured in a format that facilitated utility and combat. I would think something with a more utility-based grip could be married to a blade profile that suits the fighting style they are being trained. It just seems a little one-note.

Grain of salt/two cents worth: if I were going to be potentially in hand to hand combat, I think I would want something with a bit more reach and punch OR more cutting potential. I suppose has to ask ones self who I am apt to be fighting hand to hand: A lightly dressed combatant in a middle eastern setting or are we now talking a colder environment where the other guy is wearing soviet-era combat gear?

I kind of sort of know the guy who does the military combatives. Which is a guy called Paul Cale.

And he has a signature knife called the ghost. Also from zu blade works. And it is very similar.

And the priorities he put on were speed to get out and durability.

So you go gun, knife gun. Sort of thing.

https://www.facebook.com/ZuBladeworx/posts/491925890929548

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=531781973697303&id=171021573106680

But with all that I think you could do the same in a wharncliffe and basically have a hacking knife. Which would also be a utility beast.

A beefed up ronin sort of.

Hacking knife.

 

[Drop bear]

Just learning about the .300 blackout.

Shorter quieter and kills people apparently.

 

[KenHash]

Looks like it's the Shrapnel, it gets a mention as being the design of the combative sprogram and only available for Aus army group purchase.
Edit - looks like same knife, different name.

Shrapnel – Zu Bladeworx

www.zubladeworx.com.au

Very very cool cool. Reminds me of a Kunai in appearance.
I presume the finger ring plays a role in some combat form, like in a karabit.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

That knife is ridiculous, and choosing .300 Blackout for their standard rifle caliber is a very poor decision.

Australia is lost.

I couldn’t tell from the article if .300 blk was intended to be the standard infantry caliber or application specific. Or maybe I just found it a bit incredulous.

In the correct situation, a very good choice; as a standard infantry caliber, hmmm, IDK……Maybe it suggests what the ADF sees as its future field of engagement.

i would love to read the benefit doc/justification for .300 blackout... maybe i'm unaware

It is not for standard rifle, but for PDW lik3 carbine and SMG role, for crew members, which generally needs more compact weapon. The .300blk is proven to be decent for short barrel system and pack more punch than 5.56 in its intended purpose.

............ Deino's point is how I understand it. The .300BO SIG is being issued in a "PDW" role while the F90 (in 5.56) remains the standard issue rifle (except for SF who have been using H&K416s for years - and M4s prior to that). Not sure WHY the SIG when a short F90 would be more compact anyway and not encumber the logistics/training types.

On the knife...... meh. Lots will be left in trunks, lots sold and a few carried. Arguable more Diggers will get cut by them than "the enemy" however I am all for shiny stuff being available !!!

 

[Elgatodeacero]

I think a short barrel M4 is the same length as a 16” barrel Steyr Aug (Thales F90), so this .300BO seems like a huge waste of money and a supply chain problem…..

I would rather have a Mora Bushcraft than that knife.

 

[Drop bear]

I think a short barrel M4 is the same length as a 16” barrel Steyr Aug (Thales F90), so this .300BO seems like a huge waste of money and a supply chain problem…..

I would rather have a Mora Bushcraft than that knife.

Silenced would have to be better for health and safety.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Silenced would have to be better for health and safety.

.......supressors are issued with the current F90 so noreason they could not be with a CQB version. This aquisition (the SIG rifle) smacks of a greased palm. Look to see which of the officers involved goes to work for SIG after retirement (or the like).

 

[Drop bear]

.......supressors are issued with the current F90 so noreason they could not be with a CQB version. This aquisition (the SIG rifle) smacks of a greased palm. Look to see which of the officers involved goes to work for SIG after retirement (or the like).

Having a look at youtube .300 blackout is supposed to be some sort of shorty suppressed super gun. It is a bullet that is supposed to work with a short barrel because it doesn't need as high a velocity.

But I am not really a gun guy.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Having a look at youtube .300 blackout is supposed to be some sort of shorty suppressed super gun. It is a bullet that is supposed to work with a short barrel because it doesn't need as high a velocity.

But I am not really a gun guy.

....... yes it works fine for that and I have no issue with it. However it's adoption on a limited scale as a Personal Defence Weapon (PDW), ie generally issued to people who will use a small arm as a secondary (at best) tool to their military trade, makes absolutely no sense when the role can be more than adequately undertaken by the already standard issue small arm (F90) with at most minor modification. Every person joining the Army goes through the same initial training and is schooled on the F90 (F88 before that and SLR prior). The SIG has an ENTIRELY different Manual of Arms to the F90 (except perhaps which end the pew pellet comes out) so the troops who are to be issued this will need to be completely retrained on a new set of drills and will alos be those who receive the least ongoing small arms training. Add into that ammunition and magazine non-compatibility with the Combat Arms (Infantry, Engineers, Artillery etc) they have created a logistical nightmare. Had this announcement been that the SF have adopted it as a Special Mission Weapon I would have no more than blinked as they have their own training and supply lines to support this (and in fact are already using it to some degree !!).

 

[Kragnut]

That knife is ridiculous, and choosing .300 Blackout for their standard rifle caliber is a very poor decision.

Australia is lost.

Lol really? I mean the 300 AAC does have some advantages for special warfare. Like the 7.62x39 it doesnt loose much velocity out of a 10 in barrel. And the whole heavy bullet subsonic suppressed thing. But as a general infantry cartridge over the SS109 / M855 NATO round fired from a 20in AUG barrel? I think not.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

To be clear, it isn't replacing the F90. It's being procured as a limited issue as a PDW. Still makes no bloody sense.