Russia-Based Kalashnikov to Upgrade the AK-12 Rifle from Battlefield Experience

In December, the Kalashnikov Concern announced that it had completed a three-year contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense while it also claimed to have doubled the supplies of the AK-12 assault rifle in 2023.

Chambered for the 5.45mm cartridge, the AK-12 will eventually replace the Russian AK-74 rifles, which have been used since the Cold War. Some Russian sources have suggested that the 5.45mm AK-12 has higher ergonomics compared to the AK-74 and AKM, while the Kremlin had previously highlighted the AK-12’s increased accuracy, the unique survivability of its barrel, and the new production technology that went into making it. The Kalashnikov Concern has now announced plans to further upgrade the military assault rifle.

“A group of Kalashnikov managers, designers, and specialists has returned from the zone of the special military operation with the latest feedback on combat engagement of company products. Together with servicemen of the West battlegroup they serviced and restored some faulty units. The collected materials will be used to formulate proposals on adjusting the composition of spare parts for AK-12 and draft the overhaul documentation,” the company told Russian state media.

The AK-12 was designed in the framework of Russia’s Ratnik “Soldier of the Future” program and it was accepted into service in late 2018. The heart of the new AK-12 is practically unchanged from the first AKs that rolled off the production line in the 1940s, and it features largely the same fire control group, long-stroke gas operation, and “rotating two-lugged bolt.” This new weapon features three firing modes: single shot, three-shot burst, and automatic fire.

The ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine reportedly confirmed the reliability of the rifle, the company said. However, it was decided to improve maintenance and restoration of the rifle in field conditions. That could be Russian doublespeak that suggests problems were encountered with the AK-12 in the war that began two years ago this month.

There have been reports of Russian soldiers complaining that much of the military hardware hasn’t exactly performed as advertised, and that has included the small arms. In addition, due to shortages, some Russian units have been equipped with helmets, body armor, and even weapons dating back to the Cold War.