Type Bullpup assault rifle In service 2009–present Designed 2003–2009 | Place of origin Israel Used by See Users | |
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Designer Israel Weapon Industries | ||
The IWI X95, also dubbed Micro-Tavor and formerly MTAR-21, is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle, produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). It is a stand-alone derivative of the original IWI Tavor assault rifle.
Contents
In November 2009 the X95 was selected as the future standard issued weapon of the Israeli infantry.
History
Initially MTAR-21 was an extremely compact version of the IWI Tavor, but in 2002 the original MTAR-21 design was abandoned and replaced by a newer design known simply as X95 or Micro Tavor.
It is considered by the types manufacturers to be a separate family of assault rifles, although sometimes still referred to as Micro Tavor or even MTAR.
Design
The X95 can be easily distinguished from the Tavor TAR-21 (as well as from CTAR-21 and STAR-21) by the location of the cocking handle. An X95 cocking handle is closer to the pistol grip, while a TAR-21 pistol grip is closer to the muzzle. Additionally, a lower part of the X95 barrel shroud always comes with an integral Picatinny rail, unlike the handguard of the TAR-21. The stock was also slightly redesigned.
With the use of a relatively simple conversion kit, the X95 can be converted from a 5.56 mm assault rifle to a 9 mm submachine gun loaded with 20, 25, and 32-round magazines. A suppressor can also be added to the weapon, as part of the 9 mm conversion kit. An integrated grenade launcher is currently being developed for the Micro Tavor.
When configured to fire 9 mm rounds, the gun uses a blowback operation to eject and reload rounds, but in the same body as the gas-operated rifle reloading system. It is fed from Uzi magazines. A suppressor can be mounted that allows for the use of standard velocity 9 mm ammunition, not specialized subsonic ammo. The barrel is the same length as the rifle version, but has a 1:10 in rifling twist to stabilize heavy 9 mm bullets.
Compared to the 890 mm (35.0 in) long M4 carbine (with its stock extended) with a 370 mm (14.6 in) barrel, the X95 is 580 mm (22.8 in) long with a 330 mm (13.0 in) barrel.
Variants
X95 comes in a number of variants (including):
Under IWI license:
Users
Angola: Angolan Armed Forces operate the X95.
Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani Armed Forces operate the X95.
Colombia: The National Police of Colombia operates the X95.
Israel: In November 2009, the IDF announced that the X95 would become the standard infantry weapon of the IDF, with the addition of an integrated grenade-launcher. In 2014 the IDF announced that in the future (from as early as the end of 2014) some infantry units could start to be issued some numbers of an improved X95, which will have a longer 380 mm (15.0 in) barrel, instead of the original 330 mm (13.0 in) barrel of the X95, and a lighter trigger pull.
India: India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ordered 12,000 X95 rifles which entered service in early 2011. Indian customized version of X95 is known as Zittara, and produced by Ordnance Factories Board. Following the use of the weapon by Indian forces fighting the insurgency in Kashmir, CRPF commanders have stated that the X95 is a more effective assault rifle than the AKM, due to its small size, power, longer range and lighter weight.
Mongolia: Special forces.
Ukraine: RPC Fort offers X95 as Fort-224. Fort-224 is in service of the National Guard of Ukraine.