Singapore group ST Kinetics (Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd) is no stranger to the arms market as it was established in 1967 and employs over 7,000 people worldwide. The company has designed, developed and managed a variety of systems for the Singapore military and foreign clients, including heavy machine guns (HMG), self-propelled guns (SPA), field mortar weapons and armoured fighting vehicles (AFV), and personal small arms.
2008 In 2008 it introduced a new SMG/SMG product with a modular design to support the ubiquitous 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge - CPW ("Compact Personal Weapon").
As the name suggests, the CPW is designed with compact and lightweight features in mind - it's ideal for police, security units and even special forces that require small, effective weapons. It fires at 1,000 rounds per minute with low recoil, lever-delayed recoil from a 30-round detachable magazine. While no iron sights are mounted (they are still an optional accessory), the CPW is state-of-the-art as it supports accessories via a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the receiver and another section below the front end. Therefore, it is possible to place optics and sights above the housing, and mount a vertical foregrip or tactical flashlight under the muzzle. The weapon has an overall weight of 3.3 pounds and an overall length of 19.7 inches.
The shoulder rest can be folded for a more compact profile at nearly 13.8 inches in length. The barrel length is just over 7 inches.
The standard ammunition is the German 9mm pistol cartridge, which has been used around the world for over 100 years. Other forms seen include Belgian 5.7x28mm (FN P90 series submachine guns) and German 4.6x30mm (HK MP7 PDW) cartridges - no doubt to enhance the existing status of these weapons in the military and question the civilian market.
Horizontal controls on the side of the receiver allow semi-automatic or fully automatic firing.
Its general design approach mimics the famous Israeli UZI submachine gun, as the CPW has a hollowed-out pistol grip near the center mass of the weapon where the magazine is located. This provides a good balance for the shooter and allows a longer barrel to be inserted into the protected length of the receiver. The grip is translucent and acts as a "quick check" of the current ammo level in the magazine.
The shoulder stock folds completely into the CPW's design, and on the business end of the gun, the barrel sticks out a short distance from the gun body with a slotted muzzle flash suppressor.
- Close Combat (CQB) / Personal Protection
500 mm (19.69 in)
180 mm (7.09 in)
1.50 kg
None; supported optics; optional iron sights
Lever delay recoil; select fire
900 rounds per minute
328 ft (100 m; 109 yd)
CPW - Base Model Name