Which machine gun will be adopted by the Russian army. The Ministry of Defense adopted new machine guns

During the Second World War, the problem of increasing the density of fire in close combat had to be solved with the help of submachine guns. But the war revealed the need for weapons that would reliably hit targets at medium ranges. Neither a low-power pistol cartridge nor an overly powerful rifle cartridge were suitable for this. The problem was solved by creating an intermediate power cartridge. Based on it, an automatic hand weapon with a replaceable magazine and variable fire mode, which eventually became the main one. In the USSR and a number of other countries, this weapon began to be called an “automatic machine,” and in the West (following the Germans, who were the first to adopt such weapons back in 1943) - an “assault rifle.” Their first samples had a caliber of 7.5-7.62 mm. Initially, the difference between a machine gun and an assault rifle was not only in the names. If the Soviet AK assault rifle was created for an intermediate cartridge (later called “automatic”), which made it possible to make the weapon compact and maneuverable enough for close combat, then NATO adopted a rifle-power cartridge and relatively long-barreled assault rifles for it. The most common among them were the Belgian FN FAL (FN FAL) and the German G 3 (G 3). This not least explains the long-term preservation of submachine guns in service with Western armies.
Machine guns and assault rifles took their place in the center of a kind of “triangle” (between a rifle, a submachine gun and a light machine gun). With a mass of 3.5-4.5 kg, they have a relatively short length of 800-1100 mm, a combat rate of fire in bursts of up to 100-150 rounds per minute, are convenient for operations in various conditions, and are reliable.
In the 1960s, an important change occurred - a reduction in the caliber of weapons. The United States adopted the M16 (M16A1) assault rifle of 5.56 mm caliber, and soon small-caliber rifles appeared in other countries - the Israeli Galil, the Belgian FNC, the Austrian Stg 77, French FA MAS. There was nothing unexpected in this - V.G. Much earlier, Fedorov deduced the pattern of caliber reduction when switching to a qualitatively new weapon with new ballistics requirements. Automatic cartridge of 5.56 mm caliber with some reduction sighting range made it possible to increase the firing efficiency at ranges up to 300-400 m, since a higher-speed bullet gave a flatter trajectory at these ranges, and thanks to the lighter cartridge and reduced recoil, the maneuverability of the weapon and wearable ammunition increased. In 1974 new system small arms caliber 5.45 mm entered service in the USSR, its basis was the AK 74 assault rifle. Low-pulse small-caliber cartridges equalized machine guns and assault rifles in capabilities.
Since the machine gun has to fire at various targets, its ammunition includes cartridges with both an ordinary bullet with a steel core and tracer and other special bullets. The bullet must have a good stopping and penetrating effect. The stopping effect of a bullet depends on the amount of energy transferred to the target upon impact and the nature of the damage. The combination of the stopping effect of a bullet with the penetrating effect is becoming especially important nowadays due to the widespread use of personal armor (body armor, helmets, shields). Bullets from modern machine guns pierce steel helmets at ranges of up to 800 m, body armor of 2-3 protection classes - up to 400-500 m.
Night sights are used for shooting at night, and optical and collimator sights are increasingly being used in individual weapons. For hand-to-hand combat serves as a detachable bayonet knife. For airborne troops, operations in vehicles, etc. a number of samples are equipped with folding or retractable stocks. In the development of machine guns and assault rifles over the past 10-15 years, one can see the desire to ensure that a fighter can fire the first shot as quickly as possible or transfer fire to another target, with the maximum probability of hitting a point target with the first shot or the first short burst, as long and conveniently as possible carry a weapon. This is achieved by improving the weapon itself (accuracy and accuracy of fire, improving balance and ergonomics, more convenient location of the safety switch) and sighting devices, reducing its size and weight without compromising accuracy and power. In a number of samples, two standard fire modes - continuous and single - are supplemented with a fixed burst mode of two or three shots to increase the probability of a hit without wasting ammunition.
The versatility of machine guns and assault rifles has made them the most widespread, “circulation” weapons used in all branches of the military. They will remain so, apparently, for a long time. Modern complex individual weapons are often automatic grenade launchers, that is, a combination of a “small” barrel, “artillery” in the form of an under-barrel grenade launcher with a fragmentation shot and an electron-optical system in the form of a night or combined sight.
The reduction in caliber and reduced recoil of the cartridge led to other changes. In particular, it became possible to replace submachine guns with weapons unified with a machine gun or assault rifle - small-caliber carbines and shortened machine guns like the Soviet AKS 74U appeared. Such machine guns are convenient for operations in confined spaces, as well as for soldiers in non-combat units.

This section contains information about slot machines. This is one of the most common types small arms, which appeared almost immediately after the end of World War II. A combat machine gun is an individual weapon capable of creating a significant density of fire. This weapon is designed for an intermediate cartridge, has a large-capacity magazine, a high rate of fire and can conduct both single fire and automatic fire. In this section you can learn about the history of the development of these weapons, as well as about new machine guns in the world.

The term “machine gun” is common in Russia and the former republics of the USSR; in the West, such weapons are called differently. If we talk about US assault rifles, then their M16 is designated as an automatic rifle. In other countries, such weapons are often called automatic carbines. Currently, machine guns or automatic rifles are the main weapon of most armies in the world.

In the same way, in Russian literature, submachine guns from the Second World War are often called machine guns. Although, of course, this is wrong.

It should be said that the history of the creation of automatic weapons began back in late XIX centuries. However, successful samples suitable for mass production were never created at that time. The issue of rapid-fire individual weapons arose especially acutely during the First World War: the military wanted to increase the firepower of infantry units in the attack.

If we talk about Russian assault rifles, one of the first examples of this weapon to be mass-produced was the Fedorov assault rifle. Although, it would be more correct to call this weapon an automatic rifle. It was serially produced under the 6.5×50 mm rifle cartridge. In total, several thousand Fedorov assault rifles were produced.

After the end of the World War, active work began on the creation of submachine guns that used a pistol cartridge. However, this weapon had a lot of disadvantages and limitations. During the next war, the Germans created an intermediate cartridge and developed the Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle for it. This was fundamentally the new kind weapons, which combined a significant firing range and high rate of fire. Gradually, submachine guns lost their importance; today they are mostly used as police weapons.

Already in 1943, Soviet designers began developing a domestic analogue of an assault rifle. In 1949, this work ended with the adoption of the AK-47 assault rifle; today it is the most famous example of small arms. The image of this weapon is even on the state emblems of some states.

After its creation, the AK-47 was modernized more than once. The creation of new models based on the legendary weapons continues today.

Currently, various modifications of the AK are the main assault rifles of the Russian army.

Today, designers are working more on improving ammunition and various attachments for such weapons. No fundamental changes in the design of automatic rifles have been observed. The design of the AK and M16 has remained virtually unchanged over the past few decades. This also applies to other most famous examples of such weapons. Today, these weapons are simply made more convenient for the fighter, improving its ergonomics, reducing weight and using new sights.

So designers and manufacturers are trying to combine two concepts: an assault rifle as a mass-produced inexpensive weapon and an effective modern instrument of war.

At the coordinating scientific council on the problems of development of combat equipment, which was organized by the Military Scientific Committee Ground Forces January 29, that the AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles and the assault rifle from the plant named after. V.Ya Degtyareva - AEK-971 will be adopted by the Russian army in the future. Today we will talk separately about each of them and answer the question why Kalashnikov assault rifles were preferred for combined arms units, and AEK 971 for special forces. Taking into account combat experience The development of the AK-12 started back in June 2011 and was carried out proactively under the leadership of Izhmash chief designer Vladimir Zlobin, who took the developments of previous years as a basis. A year later, the first prototype of an assault rifle called AK-12 was presented to the Interdepartmental Working Group at the Military-Industrial Commission. True, the weapon then received certain comments from experts. The priority requirements were high accuracy of fire and compliance with various conditions combat use, the ability to use modern sighting devices. The designers took these and other wishes into account, honing the combat capabilities of their brainchild. The demonstration of their developments within the framework of the International Military-Technical Forums “Army” also became an incentive for gunsmiths. In 2016, at a similar exhibition, the Kalashnikov Concern also presented the AK-15 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm. As for the 12th model machine gun, it received significant differences in appearance and design of important components. As the gunsmiths noted, they took into account the identified shortcomings and also took measures to improve the manufacturability of the product. In 2016 newest options AK-12 and AK-15 were sent for military testing to units of the Armed Forces. And here at the end last year The head of the Kalashnikov Concern, Alexey Krivoruchko, announced the successful completion of this stage of testing the assault rifles. According to him, the manufacturers took into account all the wishes and comments on the test models, adjusting the design based on practical application. At the same time, the head of the arms concern announced the enterprise’s readiness to launch new weapons into series. Excellence factor Both products are based on the concept of the AK-74, which has proven itself in real combat conditions. The new assault rifles retained the gas-operated automatic system, traditional for Kalashnikov products, with the barrel bore being locked by turning the bolt. At the same time, the architecture of the fastening of the gas vent and the forend on the barrel has undergone changes: it has become free-floating, that is, it practically does not come into contact with other parts of the weapon, which immediately improved the accuracy of fire. Features of the new models include a folding stock made of impact-resistant plastic, an adjustable cheek rest, and a rigidly fixed receiver with a Picatinny rail, which ensures convenient and repeatable installation of day and night sights of various types.
The new machine guns can fire not only single shots and a continuous burst, but also short bursts, cutting off two rounds each. A muzzle brake-compensator is also installed on the barrel, and in addition, it is possible to install a bayonet, a quick-detachable muffler, as well as a 40-mm underbarrel grenade launcher GP-25 or GP-34. The main criterion for choosing an AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifle for combined arms parts became the simplicity and reliability of this weapon. The corresponding opinion was voiced during the coordination scientific council on the problems of development of combat equipment, held in Moscow. Innovation for the infantry To date, the Federal Troop Service has also concluded an agreement with the Kalashnikov Concern on the trial operation of promising models of assault rifles national guard. First Deputy Director of the Russian Guard, Colonel General Sergei Melikov, clarified that AK-12 assault rifles are being tested in the department’s departments, among other models, and following the results of the Army-2017 forum, the Russian Guard, the FSB and the FSO showed interest in other new products from Izhevsk gunsmiths - the AM assault rifle -17 and its silent version AMB-17. Chief editor of Magnum magazine Yaroslav Koval notes that the new versions of the AK-12 and AK-15 have significant differences from the old version of the AK-12, presented in 2015 - both in the design of the main components both mechanisms and appearance. “The layout, design of components and mechanisms of these samples are for the most part based on the experimental AK-400, while there are also a number of developments from the old version of the AK-12,” the expert emphasizes. - The design of these automatic carbines has been revised to eliminate a number of shortcomings identified during testing and to meet customer recommendations; as a result of the improvements, the manufacturability of the product has been significantly improved.
The new AK-12 and AK-15 can use both magazines with transparent plastic windows for visual control of the presence of cartridges, and magazines from previous models of the AK family of the corresponding calibers.”

“Small arms in modern combat are not relegated to the background,” says one of the leading domestic experts on firearms, an expert at the Russian Ministry of Culture, and previously the chief curator of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War Sergei Monetchikov. “The experience of the war showed that it was precisely this that caused significant damage to manpower.”

The expert noted that the formation of infantry combat formations is based on the simultaneous and maximum participation of all its fire weapons in the battle.

“The greatest density of fire, as is known, is created by the simultaneous participation of the bulk of small arms,” notes Sergei Monetchikov. “In this case, not only the quantity of firepower, but also the quality of each type of weapon will play a significant role. In other words, the density of fire is nothing more than targeted fire from all types of small arms, and especially automatic ones. That is, the main requirement for infantry weapon fire is its density and mass. This is where design thought should come from when improving small arms.”

About the AEK-971 assault rifle

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs; all-destructive types of offensive weapons appeared, allowing strikes from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment have continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs; all-destructive types of offensive weapons appeared, allowing strikes from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

For the final defeat of the enemy, control of its territory, access to raw materials and industrial resources, and the implementation of humanitarian and other tasks, it is necessary to use infantry and special units that come into direct contact with the enemy. And this is where the protagonist of the war becomes a figure in camouflage with an assault rifle in his hands.

Screenshot from the game Battlefield

History of the issue: how it all began

To begin with, let's define the term “assault rifle” (in Russian terminology - machine gun). So, an assault rifle (in the original assault rifle) - firearms, created for automatic fire with ammunition occupying an intermediate position in power between rifle-machine-gun and pistol ammunition. Those. assault rifles do not include models capable of automatic fire, but designed to use pistol ammunition (i.e. submachine guns), as well as automatic weapons using rifle cartridges (automatic rifles).

For the first time, weapons, which, with some stretches, can be classified as assault rifles, were created in Russia by the talented gunsmith V.G. Fedorov. In 1916, mass production of a model began, which the author called an automatic machine. In fact, it was an automatic rifle, but with a sector magazine and chambered for Japanese rifle cartridges of 6.5 mm caliber, which had less power and less power compared to the Russian 7.62x54R cartridge.
recoil impulse. One of the units of the Russian Imperial Army that took part in the battles of the First World War was armed with this weapon.

Fedorov assault rifle: photo from Wikipedia

The pioneers in creating a full-fledged model of an assault rifle, which was the ancestor of this class of weapons, were the Germans. In light of the combat experience of the Eastern Front, the German command became aware of the excess power and range of traditional repeating and self-loading rifles in conditions of, as a rule, short ranges of fire contact. Submachine guns, being almost ideal weapons
for short combat, say, in a forest or when clearing trenches and buildings, when firing at a distance of over two hundred meters, they had insufficient power and efficiency.

As a result of the implementation of the technical specifications of the German arms department for new machine ical carbine, the MP 43/44 was created, later renamed SturmGewehr 44, which literally means “Assault Rifle” in German. Thus, the new German model gave its name to a new class of small arms. The Sturmgever was created for the cartridge developed before the war - in 1938 - by the Polte factory, which, although it retained the standard 7.92 caliber for the Wehrmacht, had a sleeve shortened to 33 mm and a lighter bullet and, in terms of power, occupied an intermediate position between the pistol and rifle cartridges. As a result, the Germans received a fairly successful model, allowing accurate fire with single shots at distances of up to 600 m and providing high density of fire while maintaining acceptable accuracy when firing in bursts at distances of up to 300 m.

In addition, the new assault rifle was intended for mass and cheap production using stamping and casting. The disadvantages of the machine include its not very comfortable grip when shooting prone. In total, before the end of the war, more than 400,000 assault rifles were produced in various configurations, including samples equipped with optical and infrared sights and even such exotic devices as the Krummlauf Vorsatz J curved-barrel device for shooting from around the corners of buildings and in the dead zones of tanks and fortifications. structures.

The appearance on the Eastern Front of new German weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge immediately caused a response Soviet gunsmiths. In 1943, designers N.M. Elizarov and B.V. Semin created the 7.62x39 intermediate cartridge, which went down in history as the M1943 and became the most common intermediate cartridge in the world. It was for this cartridge that the Simonov self-loading carbine - SKS was first created, and then the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle.

There is a legend that wanders from one online publication to another that the Kalashnikov assault rifle was copied from the Stg-44 and that German gunsmiths, including Hugo Schmeisser himself, while in Soviet captivity, took part in its development. It is quite obvious that the Kalashnikov assault rifle, not being a direct copy of the Sturmgever, and having a fundamentally different design of many components, was created under the strong influence of German design. By the way, in the memoirs of the Kovrov gunsmiths, published in one of the Russian specialized magazines, there is a mention of one interesting fact. It turns out that the first production samples of the AK-47 were significantly inferior in accuracy in automatic fire mode German machine gun and the plant management assigned a large cash bonus to the employee who, when shooting AKs at the shooting range, could significantly improve the previously achieved results. The prize remained unclaimed.

So, it is impossible not to notice that the development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms, because armies of all countries of the world have made weapons of this class the main individual weapon of the infantryman.

The development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms

To date, samples of modern assault rifles are classified as third-generation assault rifles (zero includes German MP-43 and Stg-44 assault rifles, first - AK-47, AKM and Czech Vz-58, M-14 (USA) G-3 ( Germany), FAL (Belgium). The main feature of the second generation (which includes the AK-74, American M-16, French Famas, Austrian AUG, etc.) was the transition to smaller caliber cartridges - 5.56x45 and 5.45x39) .

Common features of third-generation assault rifles are the widespread use of plastics and light alloys, which makes it possible to significantly lighten the weapon and reduce the cost of its production; the use of a modular design, the use of optical and collimator (red dot) sights as the main ones, the possibility of installing a large range of additional equipment, laid down at the design stage: under-barrel and muzzle grenade launchers, tactical flashlights, laser target designators, silencers.

What are they fighting with today?

Let's try to look at the most interesting examples of third-generation assault rifles, both mass-produced and under development.

The Italian rifle-grenade launcher system ARX-160 developed by Beretta includes a 5.56 mm assault rifle and a 40 * 46 mm under-barrel grenade launcher, which can also be used autonomously. The firing range of the grenade launcher is 400m. In addition to the assault rifle and grenade launcher itself, the complex includes the Aspis small arms fire control device and the Scorpio grenade launcher fire control device. The modular design of the complex allows, after replacing a number of parts, to use cartridges of 5.56x45 mm, 5.45x39 mm, 7.62x39 mm, 6.8x43 mm, i.e. in fact, the entire range of intermediate cartridges produced today. The machine is equipped with quick-change barrels of 406 and 305 mm, the replacement of which takes no more than five seconds, the cocking handle can be reinstalled on both sides, it is possible to quickly change the direction of reflection spent cartridges. The automation operates on the principle of a gas outlet with a short stroke of the gas piston.

The folding butt of the machine gun has 5 length adjustment positions. There are 4 Picatinny mounting rails for installing additional equipment, 6 belt attachment points. The front and rear sights fold down. Standard coating colors are black and olive. An assault rifle with a short barrel weighs no more than 3 kg and is an ideal combat transformer with the ability to fine-tune it to the needs of a particular shooter.
The complex is the basis for the promising Italian set of combat equipment “Soldato Futuro”. The machine gun has been entering service with the Italian army since 2012 and is offered for export. In particular, a variant of the assault rifle chambered for the Soviet 7.62x39 cartridge (AKM magazines are used) was adopted by the special operations forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The HK-416 assault rifle from Heckler-Koch owes its appearance to the desire of this company to enter the American market of military and police weapons. The idea was to create a model that combines ergonomics and appearance the beloved M-16 by all Americans with significantly increased reliability. To achieve this, the direct gas outlet of the M-16 was replaced by a much more contamination-resistant system with a short stroke of the gas piston, the same as on the G-36 rifle.

Heckler & Koch HK-416

The bolt and return mechanism were also improved and a barrel with increased survivability was used. It is curious that at first the HK-416 was developed as a kit of parts for upgrading machine guns of the M-16/M-4 type. At the same time, the barrel with the gas engine, the forend, the receiver and the bolt group were replaced, and replacement of the return spring and buffer was also recommended. In this case, the stock, magazine, trigger mechanism housing with handle and magazine receiver can be used from the old model.

Otherwise, the HK-416 has much in common with its “classmates” - a telescopic stock of adjustable length, quick-change barrels, four Picatinny rails for attaching various sighting devices, laser designators, tactical flashlights, under-barrel grenade launchers, etc.
The machine gun was adopted by some special units the US Army, including the legendary counter-terrorist unit Delta Force, the US Marine Corps, special units of a number of countries and private military companies, where it has proven itself well. It is also known that in the operation to destroy Osama Bin Laden, Team 6 fur seals The USA used HK-416 assault rifles. The weapon has high accuracy and accuracy of fire, which, combined with soft and smooth recoil, makes it an ideal tool in the hands of a professional.

in the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden, a team of 6 US Navy SEALs used HK-416 assault rifles

As a result of summarizing the tactical experience gained by the troops of the international coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, it turned out that standard NATO 5.56 caliber cartridges under certain conditions have insufficient range and penetration. In addition, a light bullet of the SS 109 cartridge at a distance of 400 m with a side wind of 17 km/h has a drift twice as large as that of a bullet of the 7.62x51 cartridge. In light of these findings, the Heckler-Koch company, based on the HK-416 assault rifle, developed the NK-417 automatic rifle chambered for 7.62x51 NATO. The new rifle is available with 4 barrel options of different lengths, and when using “sniper” barrels 40 and 50 cm long and corresponding ammunition, when firing single shots, the rifle demonstrates accuracy in the region of one minute of arc, which allows us to classify this version of the NK-417 as a tactical sniper rifle .

Heckler & Koch HK-417

When talking about third-generation assault rifles, it is impossible to ignore the SCAR complex. FN SCAR Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) - a combat assault rifle for special operations forces) - was developed by FN-Herstal USA to participate in the competition for a new assault rifle for US SOCOM soldiers, announced in 2003 by the US Special Operations Command. According to the requirements of the competition, the rifle had to, firstly, make maximum use of the principle of modularity, i.e., be easily adaptable for specific tactical conditions, and secondly, be superior in reliability to the standard M-4 carbine. Also technical task assumed that promising samples would have retrofit kits for 7.62x39, 6.8 Rem, etc. ammunition.

In 2004, it was announced that the winner of the competition was FN-Herstal USA with rifle-grenade launcher systems, which were later standardized as the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L and Mark 17 / Mk.17 SCAR-H.
The head of the US SOCOM weapons program, Troy Smith, emphasized that the design of the SCAR rifles was carried out with the active assistance of the special forces themselves, and the peculiarity of the SCAR rifles is that they are special forces weapons that embody many years of combat experience. After the signing of the agreement on the initial stage of production, military tests were carried out in various climatic zones, in which Navi Seals operators, US Marine Special Forces soldiers and Army Rangers took part.

Fn SCAR Mk 17

The SCAR family of rifles, in addition to two “basic” options - the “light” rifle Mk.16 SCAR-L (Light) chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO caliber and the “heavy” rifle Mk.17 SCAR-H (Heavy) chambered for more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition , includes the Mk 13 Mod 0 or FN40GL - a 40mm grenade launcher that can be used as an under-barrel grenade launcher for either variant, or used independently.

Fn SCAR Mk 13

Both basic configurations offer the possibility of installing barrels of various lengths, which determine their tactical purpose. There are three standard options - "S" (Standard), "CQC" (Close Quarters Combat) - a shortened machine gun for close combat and "SV" (Sniper Variant) - sniper weapon. The manufacturer emphasizes the principle of modularity of its design - 82% of the parts, of which there are only 175, can be used in weapons of both calibers.

Varieties of Fn SCAR Mk 16

The steel magazine for the MK-16 is interchangeable with the magazine of the M-4 carbine, although, according to the developer, it has best quality. The chrome-plated barrel and overall quality of workmanship guarantee a long service life of the assault rifle. The automatic weapon with a short stroke of the gas piston, in addition to low sensitivity to contamination, guarantees the machine increased stability when firing. The principle of double-sidedness is fully implemented: the safety tab and the magazine release button can be activated on both sides, the cocking handle can be installed on both the right and left sides. The stock, folding to the right, is adjustable in length with locking in six positions. A slightly lower rate of fire compared to other rifles contributes to greater stability of the weapon when firing.

Fn SCAR System

The rifles are currently being mass-produced and have entered service with the 75th US Ranger Regiment. However, for a number of reasons, US SOCOM abandoned the use of the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L, purchasing instead 7.62 mm SCAR-H assault rifles with upgrade kits for 5.56x45 ammunition. However, the high combat and operational qualities of the SCAR family of rifles have contributed to their widespread use in the armed forces of countries around the world.

What is Russia fighting with?

The much-advertised AN-94 "Abakan", although it demonstrated record accuracy in the fire mode in bursts of two rounds, otherwise has no advantages over the AK-74, moreover, being an extremely complex and expensive design to manufacture, unsuitable for arming soldiers - conscripts.

AN-94 "Abakan"

AK 100 series assault rifles, the development of which began at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant in the early 1990s, were initially created as commercial weapons designed for foreign markets. The weapon, created on the basis of the AK-74, is its variant for the most common intermediate cartridges in the world: 5.56x45 NATO, 7.62x39 and 5.56x45.

AK-101

• The AK-101 is an assault rifle for the widely used NATO 5.56x45 ammunition and, according to the developer, demonstrates better accuracy in burst mode than the M-16 A2.
• The AK-103 uses the well-deserved 7.62x39 (M1943) cartridge, is compatible with the magazines of old AK/AKM assault rifles and is intended to replace them.
• AK-102, 104 and 105 are small-sized assault rifles, built on the basis of their full-size versions and are somewhat superior in their combat and operational characteristics AKS-74u. They are distinguished from the “basic” models by a shortened barrel with a special muzzle flash suppressor and a modified sighting bar, which has markings only up to 500 m.

AK-105

All AK 100 series are equipped with a side rail for mounting optics. Black polyamide is used to make the stock, fore-end, pistol grip and magazine body, which is why AKs of the 100th series abroad received the commercial name “Black Kalashnikov”. The largest buyer of the 100th series AK to date is Venezuela, with which a contract was concluded for the supply and licensed assembly of 100,000 AK-103 units. A batch of AK-102s was also acquired by Indonesia.

AK-102

The 100th series AKs, although a commercially successful project, are only a cosmetic upgrade of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings. The most significant drawback of the AK family of assault rifles is the difficulty of placing optical sights on them. The problem is primarily due to the fact that at the top of the weapon, where the optics should be installed, there is a detachable receiver cover and gas tube. The side rail with a dovetail mount, which is found on all AK-74m assault rifles, does not solve the problem, since in case of incomplete disassembly, the sight must be removed to clean the assault rifle or eliminate delays when firing. After installing it, naturally, the weapon must be brought back into normal combat. In addition, the sight installed on the AK-74m does not allow the stock to be folded. The sector safety-translator of fire modes on AK family assault rifles is inconvenient, “loud” and causes a lot of complaints.

The 100th series AKs, although a commercially successful project, are only a cosmetic upgrade of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings

To eliminate these and other shortcomings and generally “modernize” the design, the Izhmash concern developed the AK-12, which means “Kalashnikov Automatic 2012.” Although the weapon uses classic automatics with a long stroke gas piston, its design has undergone major changes. The trigger mechanism was redesigned, the bolt group and receiver were updated. The receiver cover, which now has increased rigidity, is mounted on hinges and can be tilted up and forward to disassemble and clean the machine gun. These measures made it possible to achieve a constant position of the cover relative to the barrel, which makes it possible to install optical, collimator and night sights on the Picatinny rail located on the cover.
The cocking handle has been moved forward and can, at the shooter’s request, be moved to the left or right side. The fire switch safety now has a different design - it is placed on both sides of the weapon and has four positions - “safety”, “single shooting”, “fixed bursts of 3 shots”, “automatic fire”.

A bolt delay has been added to the design of the weapon, which allows for faster reloading. The folding telescopic stock has a height-adjustable pad and butt plate, which allows you to customize the machine gun to the anthropometric data of a particular shooter. Other innovations of the machine include an abundance of picatinny rails, located, in addition to the receiver cover, also on the upper pad of the forend and on its side surfaces, rifling and bullet entry of the barrel modified to improve accuracy; new muzzle brake-compensator, allowing you to fire muzzle grenades foreign production. The manufacturer promises versions of the AK-12 for different ammunition - from 5.56x45 and 7.62x39 to 7.62x51 NATO. The machine gun can be used both with standard magazines of the appropriate caliber, and with a new four-row magazine with a capacity of 60 rounds.

What does Ukraine produce?

As a result of research work on the modernization of the Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle, the Scientific and Technical Center for Precision Engineering introduced the Vepr assault rifle in 2003. The machine gun is configured according to the "bullpup" scheme (with mechanics in the butt) and retains the reliable automatic functioning scheme of the AK-74. The developer states that the Vepr is “a quarter shorter than the AK, 200 g lighter and has twice the accuracy.” Cocking handle
and the safety can be moved to either side, while the cocking handle, made as a separate unit, is motionless when firing. It is proposed to standardly equip the assault rifle with a Ukrainian-developed collimator sight. Instead of the forend, it is possible to install underbarrel grenade launcher GP-25. The weapon's disadvantages include the inconvenience of changing the magazine (which is typical for all models arranged according to the "bulpup" scheme) and the inconvenient location of the fire mode translator far behind the pistol grip fire control. The Vepr was addressed primarily to special forces soldiers and Ukrainian peacekeepers, but never entered service.

In 2010, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was presented with a new assault rifle "Malyuk" (aka Vulkan-M) developed by KB " Artillery weapons", Kiev. The product is also a bullpup weapon, generally repeating the general concept of the "Vepr", but with some improvements in terms of ergonomics. The machine is equipped with a Picatinny rail and can be equipped with various sighting devices. Upon request The customer can have Ukrainian-made silencers installed.The machine did not arouse interest either from the Ukrainian defense department or from foreign customers.

In 2008, the Ukrainian scientific and production association of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "Fort" (Vinnitsa) entered into an agreement on the licensed production of the Tavor series of small arms developed by the state-owned Israeli company IMI (Israel Military Industries). The Tavor Tar-21 family of weapons is modular and consists of several samples built on the basis of one main design. The system includes: a standard assault rifle Tar-21 with a barrel length of 465 mm (in Ukraine standardized as “Fort 222”), STAR-21 (CTAR - Commando Tavor Assault Rifle) - a modification with a barrel shortened to 375 mm, intended for special forces (“Fort-221”) and a compact machine gun used as a self-defense weapon for crews Vehicle- “Micro Tavor” MTAR-21 with a 330 mm barrel, as well as the “Sniper” version - STAR-21 (STAR ​​- Sharp Shooting Tavor Assault Rifle) - an automatic machine equipped with a bipod and optical sight(standardly equipped with a 4x ACOG sight).

Tavor MTAR-21, photo: Wikipedia

The body of the weapon is made of high-strength polymers in combination with light alloys, and in some places reinforced with steel inserts. Tavor barrels chambered for the NATO 5.56*45 cartridge, produced in Ukraine, are supplied from Israel, where they are made by cold forging. Barrels for "Fort 221" assault rifles chambered for 5.45x39 are produced at the industrial base of NPO "Fort" in Vinnitsa using our own technology. The trigger mechanism provides firing in two modes - single fire and a burst of arbitrary length. Sights normally consist of a collimator sight with an integrated laser designator. The sight illumination turns on automatically when the bolt is cocked and turns off when the machine gun is unloaded. During testing, Tavor assault rifles demonstrated good maneuverability, which is especially important when fighting in urban conditions, increased impact resistance and reliability when used in emergency conditions. The weapon is comfortable when shooting offhand and demonstrates good accuracy.

Fort-221

On December 23, 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the adoption of the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Security Administration, the State border service and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine assault rifle "Fort-221", "Fort-222" and submachine guns "Fort223/224". These samples did not arouse interest in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, because NATO 5.56x45 ammunition, for which Tavor/Fort was originally designed, is not produced in Ukraine. In this regard, the management of NPO Fort announced the start of preparations for its own production of 5.56x45 cartridges. Somewhat later, a version of the Tavor / “Fort-221” was created chambered for the 5.45x39 cartridge, which is produced in Ukraine at the Lugansk Cartridge Plant.

Fort-224

What are they fighting in the ATO zone?

So what are the Ukrainian military and their opponents armed with in the ATO zone in the South-East of Ukraine? The most popular weapon is still the Kalashnikov assault rifle of various modifications. In the hands of our soldiers and national guardsmen are both AK-74 and older assault rifles of the AK/AKM/AKMS family, which are believed to provide some advantages when conducting combat operations in the forest zone due to the lesser tendency for the 7.62x39 cartridge bullet to ricochet at shooting through branches.

The separatists are armed even more variegatedly - in addition to Kalashnikovs of various modifications, they have a variety of exotic weapons, probably brought into the conflict zone from Russian long-term storage warehouses. These are pistols PPSh machine guns and even PPD (!), SKS carbines and DP light machine guns. The GRU Spetsnaz groups of the General Staff of the Russian Army operating on the territory of our country, for the most part, use standard AK-74m assault rifles. So, despite the abundance of technically advanced third-generation models on the world market, our soldiers still clutch in their hands the well-deserved Kalashnikov assault rifle, nicknamed by the troops Kalash and, sometimes, a little familiarly, Kalashyan.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has adopted the AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles. The weapon is recommended for use in Land and Airborne troops, as well as Marine Corps formations, reports RT .

At the coordination scientific council of the military department, it was stated that the products of the Kalashnikov Concern JSC according to the criterion of “simplicity - reliability” are more suitable for combined arms units and subunits, reports "A red star" .

The development of the new machine gun has been carried out since June 2011 under the leadership of the chief designer of Izhmash, Vladimir Zlobin, based on developments over the previous 10 years. In the same year, assembly was completed and testing began on the first prototype of the fifth-generation Kalashnikov assault rifle with the working name AK-12.

The machine was first shown in January 2012. The state did not provide support for the development of a new machine gun due to the excessive number of old AKs, of which there were a total of more than 17 million in warehouses.

In the summer of 2012, in Solnechnogorsk, Zlobin held a presentation of the AK-12 for the Interdepartmental working group(laboratories) under the Military-Industrial Commission, which included representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB of Russia.

Based on the results of the demonstration shooting, members of the commission noted that the machine gun behaves more steadily when firing than samples of previous generations: recoil and displacement when firing in bursts have decreased. In 2016, in addition to the AK-12, the AK-15 assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 mm and the RPK-16 machine gun (5.45x39 mm) were also demonstrated.

The assault rifles have retained the gas-operated automatic circuit, traditional for Kalashnikov assault rifles, with the barrel bore being locked by turning the bolt, and can use magazines from previous generations of AK family assault rifles of the appropriate calibers. The gas outlet unit, gas tube, receiver and barrel have been significantly modified in order to improve the accuracy of fire in all modes.

The safety switch for fire modes is located on the right and has 4 positions (safety - automatic fire - burst of 2 shots - single), and also has an additional “shelf” for forefinger, providing more convenient switching of fire modes without changing the grip of the shooting hand. The AK-12 and AK-15 are equipped with Picatinny rails on the removable receiver cover and receiver guard, allowing for convenient and repeatable mounting of various types of day and night sights.

The forend also has an additional Picatinny rail on the bottom for mounting additional accessories. The machine gun is equipped with a folding, length-adjustable stock made of impact-resistant plastic. A muzzle brake-compensator is installed on the barrel; in addition, it is possible to install a bayonet or a quick-release muffler. A 40-mm GP-25 or GP-34 grenade launcher can be installed under the barrel.

In July 2017, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on economic policy and industry, vice-president of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia and president of the association “League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises” Vladimir Gutenev told Gazeta.Ru about the situation in the military-industrial complex of Russia.

According to the parliamentarian, the Russian defense industry moved away from the “edge” even in beginning of XXI century. Thanks to measures taken by the state in the 2000s, before the economic crisis of 2008-2009, the basic sectors of the economy were characterized by high and sustainable growth rates.

“If we talk about the current situation that has developed under the influence of unfavorable factors in foreign policy and economic spheres, then, in my opinion, about sustainable industrial development, it’s too early to say. We can say that the domestic industry is beginning to emerge from a state of stagnation. Despite all the economic difficulties and sanctions restrictions, the total increase in industrial production last year was about one and a half percent,” the deputy explained.

He, however, added that the scientific reserve created by previous generations of Russian scientists and engineers has already been practically exhausted, so it is necessary to create a new one. Thus, for each direction, “looks” and “images” of promising products should be developed, created not as a result of reengineering existing solutions, but fundamentally new ones.