SSV 24 is Dead, Long Live AK 24
The Swedish and Finnish firearms programs are steadily moving forward, and a few key events have taken place since we last discussed the topic. As such, and with much of the information only being found in non-English sources, a revisit is in order.
The first thing to clear up is that SSV 24 as a designation is dead. For non-Swedes this might be a non-issue, but the original designation for the short-barreled 5.56 NATO carbine did ruffle a few feathers. In short, the nomenclature in Swedish and English does not translate one-to-one, with both the G3 and the FNC being known as Automatkarbin (AK, automatic carbine) in Swedish. For the shorter weapon, it was felt by someone at some point in the project that it was more properly described as a Personal Defence Weapon, PDW, an established phrase in English. However, it must be said the way the term is used in English – a PDW is a compact sub-machine gun like weapon firing a faster and smaller bullet compared to SMGs, think MP7 or P90 – doesn’t really match this Swedish usage. However, the role envisioned by the Swedes as a weapon packing a punch but still small enough to be carried by personnel whose primary task isn’t to fire a rifle does match the general idea behind the PDW-concept. And with the word ‘carbine’ already used by everything up to and including G3s, translating PDW into Självskyddsvapen (SSV) probably seemed straightforward enough. However, a lot of people didn’t agree, and thought the phrase sounded like the carbine was either A) a ‘true’ PDW, or B) something along the lines of mace or a taser. Neither of these interpretations made sense, and as such it was decided earlier this year that since the carbine was in fact a carbine, it was renamed as AK 24 in line with earlier Swedish weapons.
AK 24 in what apparently is very close to the configuration it will have when entering service. The picture was taken during a course at HVSS, the Home Guard’s combat school. Note e.g. the barricade stop, non-window PMAG, Aimpoint CompM5 (Rödpunktsikte 18 EHV B), and co-witnessed back-up iron sights. Source: HVSS FB
However, the majority of Swedish soldiers won’t get the AK 24, which is the 11.5” variant (sometimes referred to as 12”, though my understanding is that the length is in fact 11.5”), but instead the AK 25. The big news on the Swedish front during the last twelve months is that the configuration for AK 25 – including calibre – is completely open. As is well-known by now, a quite significant number of soldiers were slated to get weapons chambered in 7.62 NATO as their main firearm, the result of a number of studies made by different Swedish government agencies and research facilities in the 2010’s. This was not a development that was greeted with open arms on social media or among those serving around Sweden, and in January the Swedish Armed Forces announced that Chief of the Army, major general Jonny Lindfors, had given orders to do a review of the calibre choices. The decision was made based on a number of factors having changed since 2018 – including both when it comes to technology, but also Sweden becoming a NATO-ally and the general security situation in the world having undergone rather drastic changes – but also included a line about the original reasoning behind the decision not having been communicated clearly enough.
That is the official line, and while it certainly hold true, the fact is also that a number of key personnel involved in making the original decisions based on the testing and research back then have since moved on to other positions or retired.
While the wind does seem to be blowing in the direction of 5.56 NATO being adopted for AK 25, at least officially the decision has not been made. It has widely been reported that the Home Guard has opted for 5.56 NATO as their primary calibre (note that HV currently uses 7.62 NATO extensively as the G3/AK 4 is their main weapon), but as colonel Michael Carlén – commanding officer of the Swedish wartime 4. Brigade and the one responsible for ensuring that the introduction of new firearms goes smoothly in his post as Införandeledare för nya eldhandvapen – noted in a podcast interview, that is not up to the Home Guard to decide. The Army is responsible for personal firearms, and while they obviously listen to and cooperate closely with HV (which is an independent fourth service branch in Sweden) the final decision rests with the earlier mentioned major general Lindfors. Those who have been following the world of service firearms are also bound to notice that the single most important technological development since 2018 has been that Sweden’s now-ally the US has (maybe) finally found a replacement for the M4 and M249 among combat troops in the form of the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) Program and the XM7 and XM250. The weapons chambered in the new 6.8×51 mm Common Cartridge (also known as .277 Fury on the civilian market) has raised question, but the fact is these are now being rolled out to combat units, with parts of the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (of Band of Brothers-fame) having received their first weapons this spring. And the thing with 6.8×51 is the ease with which you can convert a rifle (capable of handling the pressure) between 7.62 NATO and 6.8 CC, allowing for cheaper rounds and less wear when training with the old reliable 7.62 NATO and then switching to 6.8 CC for combat. And as reported earlier here and confirmed by the court case documents released since then (we’ll get to those), Sako is an option here. While Carlén doesn’t want to guess what calibre AK 25 will feature, he did comment that he expect a decision during this year, with first deliveries of AK 25 taking place in 2026. The option of sticking with 7.62 NATO for a number of roles – and trying to communicate the reasoning behind it – is apparently still on the table.
...
https://corporalfrisk.com/2024/07/07/ssv-24-is-dead-long-live-ak-24/
