Engineering:Vektor SS-77

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SS-77
24- Saudi Border Guards Machine Gun (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg
TypeGeneral purpose machine gun
Place of originSouth Africa
Service history
In service1986–present
Used bySee Users
WarsSouth African Border War
Rwandan Civil War
Kivu conflict
Production history
Designed1977
ManufacturerDenel Land Systems
VariantsVariants
Specifications
Mass9.6 kg (21 lb 3 oz) (SS-77)
8.26 kg (18 lb 3 oz) (Mini SS)
Length1155 mm (SS-77)
1000 mm (Mini-SS)
Barrel length550 mm (SS-77)
500 mm (Mini-SS)
Cartridge7.62×51mm NATO (SS-77)
5.56×45mm NATO (Mini-SS)
ActionGas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire600–900 rounds/min
Feed systemDisintegrating R1M1 link belt
alternatively disintegrating M13 belt or non-disintegrating DM1 belt (SS-77)
Disintegrating M27 belt (Mini-SS)

The Vektor SS-77 is a general-purpose machine gun designed and manufactured by Denel Land Systems—formerly Lyttleton Engineering Works (LIW)—of South Africa.

History

In the late 1970s, South Africa was involved in an international controversy over apartheid and the South African Border War in Angola. As a result, it was subject to an international arms embargo and had to, out of necessity, design and manufacture its own weapons.[1] The SS-77 was developed to replace the FN MAG. It was designed in 1977 by Col. Richard Joseph "Boer" Smith and Lazlo Soregi. The "SS" in its name stands for Smith and Soregi, and "77" for 1977, the year it was designed.[1] The design was put into action and the prototype components were hand manufactured in the armoury shop of 61 BWS under the supervision of Sgt Hattingh, L/cpl Nel and two privates. When said components worked well in the prototype, it was handed over to Lyttleton Engineering, who eventually manufactured and brought the SS77 into production.

Denel unveiled at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2016 exhibit that the SS-77 will be replaced in production by the DMG-5 and DMG-5 CX GPMG.[2]

SS-77s typically feed ammunition using an R1M1 disintegrating link belt, though M13 disintegrating link belts and non-disintegrating DM1 belts are also compatible. The belt may also be further contained in a dust-proof nylon pouch with a 100-round capacity, or a waterproof and rigid box with a 200-round capacity.[citation needed]

Mini-SS

In 1994, a light machine gun version, the Mini-SS, chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO was introduced. LIW also manufactured kits to convert existing SS-77 to the Mini-SS. Changes include the weight decrease from 9.6 to 8.26 kg (21 lb 3 oz to 18 lb 3 oz) with a folding bipod and fixed butt.[3]

Variants

Users

Map with SS-77 users in blue
  • South African soldiers serving in the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade with a SS-77 during operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, North Kivu, 2017.
     Colombia: Policía Nacional de Colombia, Infantería de Marina de Colombia.[4]
  • Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda[5]
  •  Kenya: Kenya Air Force : For IAR 330 helicopters.[6]
  •  Kuwait[7]
  •  Malaysia: Royal Malaysian Navy-PASKAL[8] and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  •  Peru: Mini-SS for the Peruvian Army[9]
  •  Philippines: Philippine National Police-Special Action Force[10]
  •  Romania: 215 SS-77 MK1 LMGs acquired in late 2008 and delivered in 2009.[11]
  •  Rwanda: SS-77 machine guns were delivered in 1992. Some were captured by the Rwandan Patriotic Front.[12]
  •  Saudi Arabia: Mini-SS[13]
  •  South Africa: General-purpose machine gun of the South African National Defence Force.[14] Issued since 1986.[15]

Popular culture

Video games

  • Arma 3, in DLC Western Sahara (« SA-77 »)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Security Arms Vektor SS-77 & Mini-SS. Retrieved on 14 May 2008.
  2. ↑ Martin, Guy (6 June 2017). "Denel Land Systems Small Arms production at full capacity | defenceWeb" (in en-gb). http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48097:denel-land-systems-small-arms-production-at-full-capacity&catid=50:Land&Itemid=105. 
  3. ↑ Denel Land Systems Brochure. Retrieved on 14 May 2008.
  4. ↑ "aerospace-index.com". http://www.aerospace-index.com/images/denel/denelnewslettersept06.pdf. 
  5. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2015). "Waning Cohesion: The Rise and Fall of the FDLR–FOCA". Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world. Cambridge University Press. p. 201. http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2015/eng/Small-Arms-Survey-2015-Chapter-07-EN.pdf. 
  6. ↑ Martin, Guy (20 November 2013). "Denel Land Systems shows off capabilities". defenceweb. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32744:denel-land-systems-shows-off-capabilities&catid=7:Industry. 
  7. ↑ Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds (27 January 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5. 
  8. ↑ Dan, Alex (9 February 2016). "PASKAL Malaysian Special Forces Weapons". Military Factory (Small Arms). http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/paskal-special-forces-weapons.asp. Retrieved 10 February 2016. 
  9. ↑ Perú, Ministerio de Defensa del (2021-10-28), INAUGURACIÓN DEL VIII SALÓN INTERNACIONAL DE TECNOLOGIA PARA LA DEFENSA Y PREVENCIÓN DE DESASTRES ( SITDEF PERU 2021 ), https://www.flickr.com/photos/ministeriodedefensaperu/51636417999/, retrieved 2022-03-14 
  10. ↑ "S.A.F. – Special Action Force – Armi e Mezzi | Corpi d' élite – Forze speciali italiane, antiterrorismo, intelligence". Corpidelite.net. 26 September 2015. http://corpidelite.net/afm/s-a-f-special-action-force-armi-e-mezzi/. 
  11. ↑ "Buletinul Contractelor de Achizitii Publice". p. 2. http://www.dpa.ro/rp/publicatii/buletine/bc2009_1.pdf. 
  12. ↑ "Arming Rwanda: The Arms Trade and Human Rights, Abuses in the Rwandan War". Human Rights Watch Arms Project 6 (1): 16, 21. January 1994. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/RWANDA941.PDF. 
  13. ↑ Grey Tiger (2014). "World Infantry Weapons: Saudi Arabia". https://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_me_saudiarabia. [self-published source]
  14. ↑ "Machine Guns". Army.mil.za. 13 December 2010. http://www.army.mil.za/equipment/weaponsystems/infantry/Machine_Guns.htm. 
  15. ↑ "Modern Firearms – Vector SS-77 and Mini-SS". Modernfirearms.net. 27 October 2010. https://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/south-africa-machineguns/vector-ss-77-i-mini-ss-eng/. 

External links



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