Small arms of the German Navy

[Ninja]

Was at a barbecue earlier tonight, started talking to some guy who claimed to be a veteran of the German Navy ('96-'00). He was also an insane bigot, but that's beside the point.

I asked him about the HK USP and HK G36 he was issued. He'd never heard of HK (I even clarified by saying "Heckler and Koch"), the USP or the G36.

I was surprised to learn that every sailor in the German Navy is issued a fully-automatic Walther P99 and a Kalashnikov made of polycarbonate.

Maybe he meant that he was in the Airsoft German Navy? I guess I should have asked if the P99 was chambered in 6mm or .177

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Was at a barbecue earlier tonight, started talking to some guy who claimed to be a veteran of the German Navy ('96-'00). He was also an insane bigot, but that's beside the point.

I asked him about the HK USP and HK G36 he was issued. He'd never heard of HK (I even clarified by saying "Heckler and Koch"), the USP or the G36.

I was surprised to learn that every sailor in the German Navy is issued a fully-automatic Walther P99 and a Kalashnikov made of polycarbonate.

Maybe he meant that he was in the Airsoft German Navy? I guess I should have asked if the P99 was chambered in 6mm or .177

You are aware most navy personnel do not normally get issued individual arms?

 

[Ninja]

You are aware most navy personnel do not normally get issued individual arms?

No, I was not aware that this was universal. Clearly it isn't - sailors in the German Navy are issued the fully-automatic Walther P99 and the polycarbonate Kalashnikov

 

[editec]

No, I was not aware that this was universal. Clearly it isn't - sailors in the German Navy are issued the fully-automatic Walther P99 and the polycarbonate Kalashnikov

Why?

I can't think of many places on earth where issuing small arms to the crew makes less sense than onboard a modern naval vessel.

If it comes down to hand to hand combat, the ship is already compromised.

This story, while it may be true, makes like no sense to me.

 

[Chris]

They all want to be James Bond.