KH-2002
TypeBullpup assault rifle
Place of originIran
Service history
In service2004–present
Used byIslamic Republic of Iran Army in limited numbers (Primary User)[1]
See Users for more details
Production history
Designed2001
ManufacturerDefense Industries Organization
Produced2003–2012
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass3.7kg (with long barrel and empty 30-round magazine)
Length780 mm, 730 mm, 680 mm (Assault Rifle, Carbine, DMR)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
Caliber5.56mm
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire800 to 850 round/min, cyclic
Muzzle velocity900 to 950 m/s
Effective firing range450 m
Feed systemVarious STANAG Magazines
SightsIron sights
Various scopes/sights can be attached on the picatinny rail via carry handle.
Two picatinny rails on both sides of upper receiver (Sama model only)

The KH-2002 Khaybar (Persian: خیبر Khayber) is an Iranian-designed assault rifle, derived from the DIO S 5.56 assault rifle (an unlicensed clone of the Chinese Norinco CQ,[2] which in turn is an unlicensed copy of the American M16) and further developed by Iran's Defense Industries Organization (DIO).[3][4] It was designed in 2001 with samples produced in 2003 with the eventual production of the KH2002 commencing in 2004. It is similar in appearance to the QBZ-95 and the FAMAS.[5]

Its improved version, released in 2009, was known as "Sama" (Persian: سما).[3][6]

History

Brig. Gen. Ali Shushtari with the KH-2002.

In the early 2000s, Iran was testing prototypes of G3 battle rifles made under license for the Iranian military in bullpup configurations to test their feasibility.[6] This was later dropped in favor of a similar weapon that's chambered in 5.56 NATO.[6] The KH-2002 was planned, from 2006, to replace the G3s in the Iranian military.[7]

According to a Global Security Studies report, it was observed that Venezuela received 18,000 KH-2002s sold to them by Iran in 2007.[8] In the same year, an investigation was carried out in Uruguay in an attempt to bring KH-2002s into the country through Venezuela, which was a violation of UN embargo rules against Iran, according to reports in the Washington Times.[9] According to the article, all 18,000 rifles and 15,000 rounds of Iranian-made 5.56mm NATO ammunition were confiscated.[9]

In 2008, Iran had sent ten samples of the KH-2002 to Syria in order to compete for a potential contract with the Syrian Army against the AK-74M.[10] Eight KH-2002s used in field tests jammed numerous times, leaving two of them in working condition.[10]

It has been suggested that production of the KH-2002 was discontinued in 2012 after DIO was unable to find customers willing to buy the assault rifle.[11][10]

Design

The KH-2002 features a four-position fire selector lever which is situated toward the rear of the left side butt-stock behind magazine housing with the M16-type magazine release button on the right side of the magazine housing.[12][13] The weapon is not entirely ambidextrous since the ejection port is located on the right side of the rifle.[1] It uses the globally proliferate STANAG magazine and is typically fitted with 20- or 30-round magazines.[14]

The selector offers semi-automatic, fully automatic and three-round burst options,[4] with the safety selection in the forward position.[15] It operates as a gas operated, rotating bolt-type rifle.[3] The KH-2002 can be outfitted with an AK-type bayonet.[6]

The DIO promotes the KH-2002 as a "low-recoil, highly accurate, lightweight" weapon, with "modular construction for easy maintenance" and a rotating bolt locking mechanism, presumably designed to facilitate ambidextrous firing, protected under a carrying handle that contains the rear sight.[5] The carrying handle can also be used to mount optical or night sights.[16]

Its charging handle is located on top of the receiver.[17]

The weight of the KH-2002 with the long barrel and an empty 30-round magazine is given as 3.7 kg. The weapon can also be fitted with an optional bipod and a bayonet.[5][16] Field stripping the rifle is most likely based on the M16.[15]

The Sama-type rifle has improvements made over initial production models such as having a longer carry handle to accommodate longer optics or scopes when it was released in 2009.[6][18] Other improvements include a foregrip extension below the barrel to better handle the rifle, two picatinny rails on the receiver were included and the bolt carrier design changed to fit the ejection port.[2]

According to an October 2013 report by SIPRI, it's suggested that China may have provided technical assistance to Iranian engineers in designing the rifle.[19]

Variants

The variants consisted of the following:[1]

  • Assault Rifle: Standard barrel based on the M16A1.
  • Carbine: Has a short barrel and no front sight.
  • DMR: Has a longer barrel.

Users


Current operators

  •  Iran: Used in limited numbers.

Failed contracts

  •  Syria: DIO competed with the KH-2002 against the AK-74M, which failed due to numerous jamming incidents.[10]
  •  Uruguay: A smuggling attempt was made by CAVIM and MODLEX (Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces Logistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran) officials in a bid to supply the Uruguayan military with new assault rifles to secure a potential contract, which failed.[20][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 ARG. "KH-2002 Khaybar Assault Rifle - Military-Today.com". www.military-today.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-09. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  2. 1 2 "Khaybar: Iran's 5.56mm Assault Rifle – Guns & Ammo". 9 November 2017. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Administrator. "Iranian-made KH-2002 Kyaybar 5.56mm bullpup assault rifle enters in service Iranian army 0901144". www.armyrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  4. 1 2 "Khaybar KH2002". Archived from the original on 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  5. 1 2 3 "DIO KH2002 / Khaybar". Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iranian 5.56mm Rifles: From S5.56 to Masaaf – Silah Report". Silah Report. Archived from the original on 2021-10-04.
  7. ↑ http://pewpewpew.work/iran/kh2002/khaybar.htm
  8. ↑ "Iran's Foothold in Latin America" (PDF). globalsecuritystudies.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  9. 1 2 3 "Uruguay caught buying Iran arms". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "From Russia with Love, Syria's AK-74Ms – bellingcat". 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Updated: The Assault Rifles Of The Near Future". 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  12. ↑ Johnson & Nelson (2016), p. 714.
  13. ↑ "Modern Firearms' Khaybar KH2002 Page". 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  14. ↑ "Штурмовая винтовка Khaybar KH 2002". Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  15. 1 2 Johnson & Nelson (2016), p. 1291.
  16. 1 2 "AIG". 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  17. ↑ "No M-16: Iran's "Domestic" (Copied) Assault Rifle is a Total Mess". 16 December 2020.
  18. ↑ "تولید انبوه و استقبال نیروهای مسلح از"سلاح خیبر"+جزئیات". 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-08-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ "Denuncian triangulación de armas Irán-Venezuela-Uruguay". 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-03-13.

Bibliography

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