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The WAT-FB MSBS-5.56 (Polish: Modułowy System Broni Strzeleckiej kalibru 5,56 mm, English: Modular Firearm System 5.56 mm calibre), also known as Grot, is a modular assault rifle currently developed and manufactured by FB "Łucznik" Radom to become the next service rifle of the Polish Armed Forces. There are two basic variants currently being developed that is based on a common upper receiver: a conventional variant and a bullpup variant. With its variety of modules, both variants can be easily transformed into an assault rifle, carbine, designated marksman rifle or squad automatic weapon. A variant chambered in 7.62×39mm was also developed and designated as the MSBS-7.62S. The MSBS-7.62N is a battle rifle variant of the MSBS that has entered the prototype phase, chambered for the full-power 7.62×51mm NATO rifle round, to be featured during MSPO in the autumn of 2016. Planned variations include a designated marksman rifle, a sniper support rifle, and a support weapon for deployment with parachute infantry.
The current service rifle of the Polish Armed Forces is the kbs wz. 96 Beryl, developed from the kbk AKM. However, despite various upgrades, the Beryl is now considered both outdated by modern standards and impossible to improve further. Because of that, work on a completely new family of assault rifles was started in Poland.
The rifle has been in development since 2007 by the WAT (Military Academy of Technology) in Warsaw in cooperation with the arms manufacturer FB Radom. The weapon is said to be operating on completely distinct internal mechanics. No further information has been disclosed however. The external design was conceived by a separate team (Adam Gawron, Bartosz Stefaniak, Grzegorz Misiołek, Maciej Sajdak) working alongside mechanical engineers.[1][2]
At SHOT Show 2015, representatives of Łucznik said that in 2015 they planned to open a factory in Texas and make the MSBS available to US customers, possibly as early as December 2015.[3]
One of the major advantages of a modular weapon system is the simplified logistics, because of the interchangeable parts between different weapon types, so fewer different parts need to be stored. If necessary, a soldier can sacrifice, for example, one standard assault rifle to repair a light machine gun. Another benefit may include ease of barrel changeability, as found on the Steyr AUG. This means a soldier may be able to adapt their rifle based on the environment they are in, such as converting a carbine to a designated marksman rifle, to be able to engage targets at a greater range, if the situation requires it. The benefits of this feature allow a squad to have fewer unique weapons.
In February 2018, the 42nd Light Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Defence Force became the first unit issued the rifle.[4]
The following variants were designed based on the requests from the Polish Armed Forces to replace currently used firearms such as the AKM, FB Beryl, FB Mini-Beryl, and Pallad grenade launcher.
Since the Polish MoD ordered 53,000 MSBS rifles, Fabryka Broni has introduced a military naming system for the MSBS family:
Grot - new name for the MSBS rifle.
C, B, R - classic, bullpup or representative variant
10, 16, 20 - barrel length in inches
G, M, PS - assault rifle with grenade launcher, machine gun, marksman rifle (standard assault rifle has no sign for this)
FB - Fabryka Broni, manufactuer of this weapon
Mx - number of series (x stands for number, for examples, M1 means first series)
In this case, Grot C16FB-M1 means assault rifle in classic variant from first series manufactured by Fabryka Broni. The name Grot means arrowhead in Polish and refers to general Stefan Rowecki's pseudonym.