develop an indigenous 7.62 mm machine gun. S&T Motiv began development under the name XK12 in July 2010. By the time gun prototypes began to be mounted and tested on KUH helicopter prototypes, they had already fired 300,000 rounds without any serious problems. In 2012, the XK12 was adopted as the K12 light machine gun as the standard armament of the KUH. At first, the K12 was only in use for the 300 planned helicopters, but there was potential to expand its use. The ROK Army has 2,300 tanks each usually having two M60 guns, and a similar number of other vehicles armed with one M60. Furthermore, U.S. experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have soldiers desiring medium machine guns to return to infantry outfits. Large orders may later open up export markets. In October 2020, the ROK armed forces declared the K12 to be the standard 7.62 mm machine gun in the South Korean Armed Forces and that it would be delivered to infantry units of the South Korean Army to replace the M60D in vehicle and aircraft-mounted roles. Design The K12 is based on the K3's design, layout, and function using a gas piston and rotating bolt. It is fed through a STANAG M13 disintegrating belt link and cannot accept a magazine. The cross-bolt type safety is the same as K3/Minimi, and the receiver is made from steel press with an aluminum alloy feed cover. Although similar in design, the receiver and other important parts are enlarged to accommodate the larger round. The K12 is somewhat heavy for the gun class at , mainly because it has pistol grip, spade grip, and metal sliding stock all in one gun for the purpose of being quickly converted into a ground-fire machine gun by a dismounted operator; the spade grip can be removed by taking out two pins, removing the grip, and unfolding the stock which is similar in design to the FN Minimi's Para version. Standard machine gun features are included like a folding (K3-style) bipod, quick change barrel, gas regulator, and (M240H-style) flash suppressor. It also has a folding ring sight for firing on helicopters with a folding ladder type sight for more accurate aiming. The sight is attached on a MIL-STD 1913 rail, which is also on the feed cover and both sides of the handguard. No laser or optical sight has yet been selected for use on