The APS Russia’s Underwater Assault Rifle

The rifle is the APS (Avtomat Podvodny Spetsialnyy), developed by the Soviet Navy in the 1970s for combat divers. • Instead of normal bullets, it fires steel darts (flechettes) that stay stable in water. • It uses supercavitation: a bubble forms around the dart, reducing drag so it can travel far underwater. • Effective range: about 30 meters underwater (huge for a submerged weapon). • It can also fire in air, but accuracy and barrel life are poor compared to a normal rifle. • It was designed fo