Kalashnikov gunmaker fine-tuning small arms based on combat experience in Ukraine op

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The Kalashnikov Group, the maker of the world-renowned AK-47 assault rifle, is improving small arms based on the experience of their use in the special military operation in Ukraine and interaction with the Defense Ministry, President of the Kalashnikov Group Alan Lushnikov said on Wednesday.

“We are in constant contact and are working with the customer, the [Defense Ministry’s] Main Missile and Artillery Department. We are collecting feedback and have a permanent working group that consists of engineers and specialists to interact with the customer,” the Kalashnikov president said.

“Improvements are already underway and this is a constant process. When you make adjustments to a standard item, you need to introduce and verify them through testing and subsequently put them into production. This is a constant process,” he said, replying to a question about the upgrade of small arms amid the special military operation in Ukraine.

Kalashnikov Group CEO Vladimir Lepin earlier said that the company had enhanced the AK-12 assault rifle based on the experience of its use in the special military operation in Ukraine.

The Kalashnikov Group is Russia’s largest manufacturer of combat automatic and sniper weapons. The company is the flagship of Russia’s small arms industry, accounting for 95% of the country’s output. The Kalashnikov Group supplies its products to more than 27 countries around the world.