The AICW (Advanced Infantry Combat Weapon) is a new rifle being designed by the Australians to compete with the OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon). It is based around an F88, an upgraded version of the brilliant Steyr AUG rifle. It fires 5.56mm NATO rounds from a 30 round box magazine and has been teamed up with a futuristic grenade launcher mounted above the barrell. The grenade launcher is made by Metal Storm and incorporates a new 3 round tubular magazine which stacks three 40mm grenades end-on-end to allow for multiple shots being fired in quick succesion. This design means that you have to reload a lot less often although it does complicate the projectile. The 40mm grenades are caseless and require electronic detonation. This unfortunately means that if the weapon has no power it will be incapable of launching grenades. This, however, is'nt the only problem with the design. The weapon is considerably large and has already been called too heavy. In my opinion the design and mechanics need to be revised before the Australians attempt to sell the weapon overseas. Luckily they don't intend to fully integrate the weapon into their armed forces until around 2010 so the chances are it will have changed drastically before then.
Some stuck up Texan military general: "The Objective Individual Combat Weapon is the most advanced rifle on the planet."
Some Australian military general who has only just realised that the OICW is infinitely cooler than the AICW: "STRUTH!"
Some Australian military general who has only just realised that the OICW is infinitely cooler than the AICW: "STRUTH!"
by 90% Pure Gelatin October 27, 2005