Kalashnikov: The Next Generation - Brand New Guns From Legendary Arms Maker
Kalashnikov is creating a new legend. The gunmakers managed to do what seemed impossible: to improve characteristics of the most reliable and effective gun in the world. Our correspondent was shown how AK-12 and its modification AK-15 handle in action.
Stanislav Nazarov is reporting from Izhevsk.
The general public is shown for the first time this fundamentally new Russian weapon in action. For the first time, testers show the internal workings of the modernized AK-15, which is similar to the legendary Kalashnikov rifle only by appearance and the basic operating principles.
Stanislav Shadrin, Head of the testing: "There's nothing on the barrel, the stock, the upper bar, all this is fixed on the receiver, here. The barrel is on its own".
Designers managed to multiply the accuracy and the grouping of fire thanks to rails for optical equipment which doesn't introduce errors, radically different balance, and most important, a completely new barrel structure.
The new rifles will be adopted by the Russian army for the Airborne Forces, Marines, and ground forces. Tests of the modernized AK-12 and AK-15 have already been completed, and the mass-production is ready to be launched.
Sergei Urzhumtsev, deputy CEO: "The mass production has already started. We expect that by mid-summer we will have issued the first batch that will go to the troops".
The factory has completed a large-scale re-equipment of the workshops. The gunmakers are ready to proceed to make a new order.
Nikita Kurbatov, assembly-room foreman: "You don't have to worry about our army, it will be equipped with an excellent weapon".
Sergei Chemezov Rostec CEO: "We'll have supplied the required number of rifles to the Defense Ministry by the end of the year".
The newest AK-12 and AK-15 differ from each other only in calibers, they were developed and tested by experienced military operation for Ratnik combat system.
Alexander Romanyuta, Scientific Committee of land-forces: "The system is modular, capable of being modified for each soldier, depending on the tasks that they perform. And we can safely say that it increases the efficiency of soldiers by 20-30% when performing combat tasks".
Ratnik combat system is positioned as the equipment for the soldier of the future. On top of the latest electronics and active battlefield scout protection systems, it will now be equipped with the cutting-edge rifle, with the legendary Kalashnikov label.
Stanislav Nazarov, Alexey Urazaikin, Oleg Gazipov, Nataliya Novgorodova, Vesti from Izhevsk