The first steel-piercing bullet to be developed in Vietnam is ready for mass production after being designed by a military technology official and his team.

The country’s first steel-piercing bullet, measuring 7.62x54 millimeters, was developed by Captain Mai Thanh Uyen, deputy head of the technical department of Z113 Factory, managed by the General Department of Defense Industry under the Ministry of General Defense.

A graduating of the University of Technology in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, Capt. Uyen previously worked for a joint venture between Vietnam and Japan in the northern Hai Phong City.

Capt. Uyen began work in the northern province of Tuyen Quang at the Z113 Factory in April 2004, choosing the factory to be close to his parents and friends who also worked there.

Over the past 12 years, Uyen, 38, has directed a total of six research projects and participated in 20 other initiatives at the facility, one of which was to develop a steel-piercing shell.

The high cost of developing the ammunition, along with Russia’s decision to cease providing their assistance on the project, left Uyen and his nine-man team to come up with a new design on their own.

Meeting the specifications for the K53 pistol the bullet is meant to be used with was just one of the significant hurdles met by the team, alongside securing the steel armor needed to test the bullets.

Due to complication procedures and high production cost, Uyen only managed acquire four pieces of the material, with each able to endure only five test shots each

To cope with these obstacles, the team opted to use CT3 steel plate and increase the range for the test shootings as a less expensive alternative.

Meeting the specifications of the K53 pistol was one of the key requirements for developing the bullet.

“The ammunition also needs to meet standardized specifications for all shells, including pressure, repetition, and more,” Uyen elaborated.

Following a series of examinations and evaluations, the bullet was finally approved for mass production by the Ministry of National Defense.

Uyen is also on a team researching the development of a 7.62x39 millimeters armor-piercing shell for the AK pistol.

“I prefer this project because it’s more challenging. The ammunition is expected to be manufactured in the near future,” according to the officer.

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