In response to the growing demand for individual equipment and weapons, the Kalashnikov consortium has completed the delivery of a new batch of AK-12 model 2023 rifles intended for the Russian Ground Forces. This new batch adds to previous deliveries made in April, following an increase in production announced in 2023. The company has highlighted that 65% of the order set by the Russian Ministry of Defense for 2024 has been fulfilled.
“The fulfillment of the State Defense Order is our priority task,” stated the president of the Kalashnikov consortium, Alan Lushnikov. “Despite operational changes in the product design, dictated by the combat experience of the AK-12 in the Special Military Operation zone (SVO), our specialists have not only maintained the production pace but are also meeting the State Defense Order with even greater advance.”
With a caliber of 5.45mm, a weight of 3.7 kilograms, and a magazine capacity of 30 rounds, the AK-12 is the new standard in the general-purpose rifle segment of the Russian Ground Forces, with specific versions adopted by other units (AK-15 and AK-19). Derived from the AK-74M, the AK-12 became the primary general-purpose rifle for Russian military forces in late 2013. Successive state contracts have made the rifle the main product of the Kalashnikov company.
New weapons and products presented by Kalashnikov:
Recently, alongside the delivery of new AK-12 rifles, the Russian consortium has presented new weapons in the machine gun and grenade launcher segments for use by infantry units.
On August 10, the new RPL-20 belt-fed light machine gun was unveiled, which can be equipped with two types of barrels with lengths of 590 mm and 415 mm. Key features include Picatinny rails for the installation of various sighting devices and accessories for the operator.
“The machine gun allows for a high density of fire thanks to the use of a belt with a capacity for 100 (200) rounds. Its design allows for barrel changes and firing from the rear of the mobile system, increasing the duration of automatic fire,” the Russian consortium stated in its official release.
Main technical characteristics of the RPL-20:
- Ammunition: 5.45×39 mm
- Feeding type: belt-fed
- Box capacity, rounds: 100, 200
- Weight with long barrel, without ammunition box, sling, silencer, front grip, kg, not more than: 5.5
- Total length, mm:
- with 590 mm barrel: 1100
- with 415 mm barrel: 950
Additionally, during the same presentation, the new GP-46 grenade launcher (40×46 mm) was unveiled. It can be used as an accessory for various rifles in the Kalashnikov family, primarily employed for attacking fixed positions such as trenches or light armored vehicles.
Main characteristics of the GP-46 grenade launcher:
- Length of the grenade launcher, mm: 380
- Caliber, mm: 40
- Weight of the grenade launcher, kg: 1.6
- Maximum aiming range (in 50 m increments), m: 400
- Rate of fire, shots/min: 5–6
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