With The Help Of This Rifle NATO Club Has Come Closer To Ukraine

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The North Atlantic Treaty Group is a military alliance in which 32 member states agree to assist and cover every opportunity against external attacks. The key to NATO’s fortunes in a potential war is interoperability. For that purpose, the armies of NATO members agree on all the requirements from communications to logistics so that they can be able to fight at every opportunity. As a result of this similarity, a British soldier could call in an airstrike from a French fighter plane and receive an alternative brochure of ammunition from a German soldier. Since the full-scale invasion through Russia, and in particular, Ukraine, there have been steps taken against NATO interoperability.

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NATO military requirements

Standardized magazines and ammunition are a great advantage for NATO (US Army)

It is a demand of member countries to have an army in line with NATO’s requirements. Ukraine’s military is abandoning its Soviet-era doctrine and gear, and adopting NATO. Military advisers from NATO countries train Ukrainian troops and Ukraine is purchasing and receiving NATO military equipment, including tanks, aircraft and Little Fingers. Alternatively, Ukraine took a major step towards NATO standardization when it signed a proposal to regionally assemble and equip the CZ Bren 2 rifle to its military.

A soldier runs with a CZ BREN 2. Ukraine is seeking NATO membership — *A Czech soldier (US Army) with the CZ Brain 2 during a NATO exercise*

cz brain 2

On February 23, 2024, Colt CZ Team subsidiary Ceska Zbrojovka signed a guarantee of intent with Ukrainian security business, Ukroboronprom, to manufacture Czech rifles in Ukraine.

Soldiers posing with weapons in Ukraine — *CZ BREN 2s in Ukraine (Global Army of Ukraine)*

“We are honored to support Ukraine’s efforts to adopt NATO standard equipment and increase the capacity of its defense industry,” Ceska Zbrojovka CEO Jan Jazyk said in a comment. “This first step towards the full-scale transfer of technology project for the CZ Bren 2 rifle is a direct result of its successful deployment on the battlefield in Ukraine by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” CZ BREN 2 rifles were supplied to Ukraine and widely defected since the Russian invasion.

“Technology transfer from NATO member states is an important moment for our company, inspired by successful international cooperation and ongoing defense reforms,” Herman Smetanin, CEO of Ukroboronprom, said in a comment. “This initiative is an important step toward establishing an arsenal of the free world within Ukraine.” Ukrainian manufacturer RPC Fortress has so far signed a commitment with Israeli Weapon Industries to manufacture the IWI Tavor rifle under license. Unlike the Tver, the CZ Bren 2 has been adopted as a standard-issue rifle by the Czech Army and the Hungarian Security Forces, each NATO.

Czech soldiers participate in the Joint Resolve exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, November 15, 2013. Joint Resolve is an annual US-led combined arms exercise designed to prepare US and European forces for multinational operations. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrude Zach/Released) — *Czech infantrymen with CZ 805 BREN rifles (US Army)* Gertrude Zach

Under the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia was the only Warsaw Pact member whose army did not have Soviet AK-47/AKM-based rifles. In turn, they developed the Sa Vz. 58 rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm to be developed in accordance with Warsaw Pact requirements. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Czechia was one of the first three former Warsaw participants to join NATO. Additionally the Czech Army had to retrofit its worn out rifles to accept NATO magazines and ammo or purchase an antique rifle. Choosing the best answer, CZ 805 BREN was adopted in 2014 with delivery of the updated CZ BREN 2 over the next two years.

Soldiers run with weapons and face shields in Ukraine — *The CZ BREN 2 is chambered in 7.62x39mm as seen in the hands of the French GIGN (Domainjode via Wikimedia Commons).*

CZ BREN 2 is a short-stroke gasoline piston assault rifle. Its modular design allows the barrel, gasoline tube, breech ban, brochure to be neatly folded and the weapon’s capacity to be modified by swapping out the brochure. Like the alternative NATO rifles, the BREN 2 accepts all NATO-standard 5.56 mm magazines and rounds. The CZ BREN 2 did not pass NATO AC/225 testing, the rifle being famously difficult. TFB TV’s James Reeves fired a .300 Power Outage round through the 5.56 CZ Bren 2 and despite firing a mismatched bullet, the rifle’s barrel remained intact and undisturbed.

Ukrainian soldiers posing with CZ Brain 2 — *Other versions of CZ BREN 2 could be seen in Ukraine (Reddit.com/r/Bren2)*

As well as adopting the CZ Bren 2 for domestic manufacturing and supply, Ukraine is also bringing in NATO ammo manufacturing. Czech ammunition manufacturers Cellier and Belot will help Ukraine position domestic manufacturing of NATO-specific ammunition. Despite the fact that Ukraine won the broader selection on NATO rifles, the domestic manufacture of a NATO rifle and the ammunition to travel with it represents a major step against Ukraine’s second entry into the alliance.