HS VHS
Notes: In the
process of being adopted for Croatia’s elite units, the VHS is a bullpup assault
rifle based to an extent on Heckler & Koch’s G-36, though it looks more
reminiscent of the French FA-MAS, especially in its large carrying handle/sights
and the bulbous butt. (This similarity in appearance, however, is merely
coincidental.) The internal operation in particular, seems to be highly
derivative of the G-36’s operation, though it is simplified, and it uses a
direct gas impingement system which is novel.
The gas system is used to partially keep recoil down; patented by HS, it
uses some of the vented gas as a sort of pneumatic buffer to cushion the bolt
during its rearward travel, allowing the bolt to softly strike the rear of the
action instead of making hard contact.
The same gas, now compressed, pushes the bolt back to return it forward.
A conventional recoil spring or hydraulic or mass buffer is therefore not
needed. Though never used in small
arms, this system was used on the Russian
Afanasev-Makarov 23mm aircraft autocannon
in the early 1950s. External
furniture of the VHS is a polymer shell; the VHS uses standard military and
commercial 5.56mm/.223 magazines. The VHS comes in two versions: The standard
VHS-D assault rifle uses a barrel of 19.7 inches, and the VHS-K carbine has a
15.7-inch barrel. The charging handle is more of s charging slide, and is
located above the receiver under the carrying handle. As with the APS-95, the
VHS-D can use BTU rifle grenades of NATO or Israeli origin, though the barrel of
the VHS-K is too short to allow this.
The VHS-D can use the same add-on bipod designed for the APS-95, though
again the barrel of the VHS-K is too short to allow this.
The VHS is being
considered by HS for possible release in a civilian version, though it is still
too early to tell whether this will take place.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The VHS does not appear in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
VHS-D |
5.56mm NATO |
2.99 kg |
10, 20, 30 |
$582 |
VHS-K |
5.56mm NATO |
2.86 kg |
10, 20, 30 |
$541 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
VHS-D |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
5 |
3 |
7 |
49 |
VHS-K |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
4 |
3 |
6 |
35 |
RH-Alan APS-95
Notes: The
APS-95 was designed shortly after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, and
first issue began in 1995. Though a
very small amount were used in the various post-breakup conflicts between
Croatia and Serbia, but these were largely over by 1995 and therefore the APS-95
has actually seen little real battle use.
Nonetheless, the APS-95 appears to have acquitted itself quite well
(perhaps because of its ancestry), and is well-liked by Croatian troops.
Unfortunately, adoption of the APS-95 has been very slow due to financial
restrictions, but the Croatian military expects it to eventually become its
standard assault rifle.
Despite looking
unrecognizably different, the APS-95 is a heavily redesigned version of a
licensed Israeli Galil AR or South African R-4 (the story is still not clear).
It is nonetheless the cousin of one of those weapons, with basically the
same operation and internal guts, along with the inherent reliability of those
weapons. One of the things that
makes the APS-95 an unrecognizable cousin is that the APS-95’s shape is
essentially nothing like the Galil or R-4; it is far more streamlined in
appearance. The standard magazine
issues with the APS-95 is a synthetic or light alloy 35-round box, but the
APS-95 can also use magazines designed for the Galil or R-4. The APS-95 has a
large carrying handle atop the receiver; this also contains the primary sight,
which has 1.5x magnification and a mil-dot-type aiming reticule.
Backup iron sights are also available, of course.
Construction of the metalwork is partially steel and partially light
alloy, with a plastic M-16A2-style pistol grip and a synthetic handguard.
The skeletonized stock folds to the right and is steel covered with a
plastic coating, along with a buttplate with a thin rubber butt.
The 17.72-inch barrel is tipped with a Galil/R-4-type flash suppressor.
A bipod is not standard issue with the APS-95, but it can use a bipod
which has been specifically-designed for the APS-95, and it can also use US,
NATO, Israeli, or South African-designed clip-on scissors bipods.
(They are not included in the cost below.)
The muzzle may use BTU rifle grenades of NATO or Israeli origin; standard
former pact, Russian, or former Yugoslavian rifle grenades may also be used, but
a ballistite cartridge must be used, and a gas cutoff valve must be switched.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The APS-95 is extremely rare in the Twilight 2000 timeline, with perhaps
40 examples being produced, and almost all of them being used by special troops.
These were primarily built in the short interval between the beginning of
the fragmentation of Yugoslavia near the start of the Twilight War and its
overrun by both Warsaw Pact and NATO forces.
Merc 2000 Notes:
This would eventually, by 2005, become the standard weapon of Croatian armed
forces. It is also quite popular
among mercenary forces and other troops who are trying to hide their national
ties (as are many weapons from the former Yugoslavian republics.
There are even rumors of some members of the Iraqi Republican Guard being
armed with the APS-95.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
APS-95 |
5.56mm NATO |
3.8 kg |
12, 20, 35, 50 |
$752 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
APS-95 |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
2 |
6 |
46 |