Russian Army receives new Kalashnikov assault rifles
The Ministry of Defense has accepted new AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles for use, as announced by the Kalashnikov firearms manufacturer, Interfax reports. This information was confirmed by Sofia Ivanova, an official representative of the company.
The AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifle is recommended for use by the Airborne Force, marines, and ground forces, reported TASS, citing as a source the press service of the company.
The Defense Ministry’s decision was reported by the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (the newspaper of the Defense Ministry) on Monday. According to the paper, the decision was made on January 25 at a meeting of the coordinating scientific council on the development of combat equipment. It included officials of the department and representatives of the defense industry. The Defense Ministry will also accept for use the 6P67 and 6P68 assault rifles, the article said. The products of Kalashnikov, because of their “simplicity and reliability,” are more suitable for combined arms units and subunits, the newspaper reported.
RBK sent a request to the press service of the Defense Ministry.
The AK-12 is a 5.45 mm caliber automatic rifle, and the AK-15 has a caliber of 7.62 mm. They can use magazines from previous models of the corresponding calibers, the manufacturer said. The firing mechanism on the rifles has four positions. This is in addition to settings for a long burst of shots, two shots, and a single shot. Both machine guns are equipped with a Picattiny rail, which is a rail mount for sights and other accessories.
A bayonet knife, quick-release silencer and 40 mm GP-25 or GP-34 grenade launchers can also be mounted on the rifles.
On December 14, 2017, the general director of Kalashnikov Aleksey Krivoruchko said that the tests of the two automatic weapons had been completed.
Speaking about AK-12, Krivoruchko said in August that the Defense Ministry had provided input on the test models, that Kalashnikov had taken the ministry’s comments into account, and modifications were made to the rifle. He noted that the company is ready to begin deliveries in 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced in March that the AK-12 could be accepted for service by the end of 2017. “A soldier, based on his preferences, physicality, and the specific purpose for which he is using the weapon, can use day, night, or thermal imaging optics and a laser range finder. If the operator is left-handed, the rifle can be cocked with the left hand [the handle of the bolt can be installed in two positions – RBK],” said Rogozin.
The AK-12 was developed and tested for inclusion in the Ratnik combat equipment.