China's New Rifle to be Accompanied by Individual Combat System

China has developed a new service rifle that is accompanied by an individual soldier combat system that reportedly integrates dozens of advanced devices, including an information exchange interface packed up on the chest of a soldier.

The gun made its first public debut at the National Day parade on October 1. It was developed by the No. 208 Research Institute of China Ordnance Industries, the developer of the QBZ-95 rifle, national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

"We will provide the Chinese warriors with our advanced equipment, making them super soldiers on the future battlefield," He Long, deputy head of the No. 208 Research Institute, told CCTV.

"The new service rifle is reliable and comfortable, and super soldiers are in the making when paired with an advanced individual soldier combat system," a senior Chinese light arms developer was quoted as saying by Global Times on Thursday.

The rifle is highly reliable, feels comfortable to operate, shoots with very high accuracy and has less recoil, Li Xiang, a test marksman at the research institute, told CCTV, noting that the ergonomics of the weapon can better fit the battlefield.

"When compared to the QBZ-95, China's previous generation of service rifles that features a bull pup design, the new one has an optimized conventional design with better ergonomics," said Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst.

It will likely use new materials that make it very light, and its advanced optics could help the user measure distance and accurately acquire targets any time of the day, Wei said.

Multiple tests under harsh conditions, including in simulated sandstorms and sand-filled river water, were conducted to make sure the gun can adapt to any situation and remain consistent.

The No. 208 Research Institute applied advanced computer simulation technologies during the rifle's development that can simulate every component of the gun and their movements and status when the gun fires or falls from high places. This greatly shortened the rifle's development period, according to CCTV.

Wei said the individual soldier combat system can greatly increase the battlefield situational awareness of soldiers by sharing information, so the battlefield would become more transparent to them as they can recognize danger and more accurately attack targets, gaining a significant advantage.