The Howa Type 20 (20式5.56mm小銃 20-shiki 5.56mm shōjū)[note 1] is a Japanese assault rifle currently in the prototype stage. It is slated to replace the Howa Type 89 in Japanese service.[1]
History[]
A patent for the weapon was filed in 2015 by Kazuhiro Kuroda and Kōji Iwata and granted in 2016.[2] The Howa 5.56 was trialed from 2017 to 2019 to find a rifle that could replace the Howa Type 89 which was regarded as going obsolete. The weapon competed against the Heckler & Koch HK416 and FN SCAR-L; the Howa design was selected as the best of the three designs.[1]
The rifle is intended to enter service around 2020.[3]
Design Details[]
The rifle appears to be very similar to the FN SCAR in terms of function and appearance.
See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ "20" is read as either "Ni maru" or "Futa maru" depending on the agency
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