Ukrainian Vulcan Assault Rifles Spotted with Indonesian Special Forces

Soldiers from the Indonesian Rapid Response Force (Kopasgat) were spotted carrying Ukrainian Vulcan special assault rifles in a bullpup configuration.

Photos of the soldiers with Ukrainian assault rifles were published by the Indonesian defense website KERIS Reborn. The soldiers’ affiliation with Kopasgat is indicated by their corresponding sleeve insignia.

In the published photo, the Ukrainian Vulcan can be identified by its distinctive layout, receiver shape, and controls. Judging by the photo, the version is chambered in 7.62×39 mm.

It is currently unknown how many Ukrainian assault rifles the Indonesian unit received or what their status is, whether they are part of the standard issue or in a trial phase. There is also no publicly available information regarding Indonesia signing a production contract for the purchase of Vulcan rifles.

Kopasgat (Korps Pasukan Gerak Cepat) is a special corps of the Indonesian Air Force. Its units are tasked, in particular, with protecting air bases and other Air Force facilities, conducting special operations, and supporting aviation operations.

The Ukrainian Vulcan

The Vulcan is a Ukrainian special-purpose assault rifle designed in a bullpup configuration. In this layout, the magazine and the main components of the firing mechanism are located behind the pistol grip.

This design allowed the weapon to be made compact without significantly shortening the barrel. With an overall length of approximately 712 mm, the rifle has a barrel length of 415 mm.

The weapon is based on the Kalashnikov family of assault rifles, featuring a gas-operated system and a rotating bolt that locks the barrel bore. At the same time, the design was significantly modified to accommodate the bullpup configuration.

The rifle features a new receiver, modified controls, and Picatinny rails for mounting optical, red-dot, and other sighting devices. The design also allows for the use of magazines from Kalashnikov assault rifles of the corresponding caliber.

The Vulcan is available in 5.45×39 mm, 7.62×39 mm, and 5.56×45 mm calibers.

From Malyuk to Vulcan

The history of the assault rifle began with the Malyuk project, work on which started in 2005 following the signing of a contract with the Scientific and Technical Directorate of the SSU.

The developers were tasked with creating a bullpup-style assault rifle, making maximum use of existing Kalashnikov components. In late 2006, prototype models were handed over to members of the SSU’s Alpha special forces unit for testing.

Subsequently, the project attracted the interest of the Ministry of Defense, but further development of the design dragged on for several years.

A new phase began in 2014, when representatives of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine contacted the developers. They proposed refining the assault rifle in accordance with military requirements and experience in the combat use of small arms.

It was this refined design that was given the code name Vulcan. According to Serhiy Lugovskyi, chief designer at InterProInvest, the assault rifle underwent such significant changes during development that only about 20% of the design elements from the original Malyuk version remained.

Therefore, it is more accurate to view Malyuk and Vulcan not simply as two names for the same unchanging assault rifle, but as different stages in the development of a single design. Malyuk became the initial project, while the model refined for military needs received the official designation Vulcan Special Assault Rifle.

At the same time, the name Malyuk has not disappeared and continues to be used by the manufacturer and in open sources regarding this family of weapons.

The common designation Vulcan-M is not the official name of the assault rifle. According to Lugovskyi’s explanation, it appeared in the industrial design documentation as one of the proposed names for the product’s appearance, after which it spread among journalists and in open sources.

According to the documentation, the military model is named the Special ‘Vulcan’ Assault Rifle.

Separately, based on this design, the civilian self-loading hunting carbines Malyuk K-01 and K-02 were developed. Unlike the military Vulcan, they do not have an automatic fire mode: a single pull of the trigger fires a single shot.

Vulcan in the Ukrainian Defense Forces

The first prototype Malyuk rifles were handed over to the SSU’s Alpha special forces unit for testing as early as 2006.

After the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, testing of the rifle continued, now incorporating lessons learned from combat operations. Representatives of military intelligence joined the effort to refine the design.

In the mid-2010s, Ukrainian special forces tested the weapon, particularly in combat conditions in the Donbas. The assault rifles also underwent trial use in units of the Special Operations Forces.

In 2017, the Armed Forces of Ukraine adopted the 5.45×39 mm and 7.62×39 mm versions under the official designation Vulcan Special Assault Rifle.

Subsequently, this weapon was spotted in the hands of service members of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Special Operations Forces, Airborne Assault Troops, and the Marine Corps. Vulcans were also supplied to certain special-purpose units of the Military Law Enforcement Service.

Thus, the assault rifle primarily spread among units for which the weapon’s compact size, while retaining a full-length barrel, could be advantageous when operating in vehicles, buildings, and other confined spaces.