Alan Lushnikov, the president of Kalashnikov, said on the television station “Russia 24” on December 25 that the first batch of modernised AK-12 assault rifles will be delivered to the Russian Armed Forces in January 2024. This decision was made in consideration of the lessons that have been learnt during special operations.
He said that during the special operation, experts worked on customers’ needs.
After testing it, the company put it into production. The new AK-12 is in the works; shipping will begin in January. It got a lot better, mostly in terms of how easy it is to use, said Lushnikov, adding that the weapon had to be simple and effective.
On December 11, Kalashnikov broke the news that in 2023, the number of AK-12 assault rifles that were shipped out practically doubled. “Kalashnikov” finished the production of AK-12 rifles with a contract in place for three years in November of this year.
Before this, on December 8, the company started providing the Russian army with combat gear kits called “Strelok.” It offers a complete answer for military personnel’s particular armour protection and equipment needs.
The developers unveiled ” Strelok ” during the “Army-2023” International Military-Technical Forum. The customer will receive 25,000 units of the new battle gear by year’s end.
In November, Kalashnikov presented a more compact version of the AK-19 rifle that was chambered for ammunition in accordance with NATO specifications (5.56mm). While participating in a shooting competition, the presentation was delivered to military correspondents. The 5.45mm AK-12, now in service by the Russian armed forces, served as the foundation for developing this weapon. The new rifle has greater accuracy and shooting precision, enhanced ergonomics, adaptability for use throughout the day, and overall accuracy.
At the same time, the company had announced that the AK-12 assault rifle was going through a modernisation process at the manufacturing unit. For example, the corporation is primarily concerned with improving the ergonomics and consumer features of various forms of armament.
The press statement issued by Kalashnikov on August 7 indicated that the company was increasing the production volume of the AK-12 assault rifle while simultaneously cutting the amount of manpower necessary to create it. It was emphasised by the company’s press office that this particular model of small arms is the principal offering of concern in the sector of automatic weapons and that it is responsible for more than half of the total output of arms that the company produces.
