Russian Army Orders AK-74 Upgrade Kits From Kalashnikov Concern
During the Army 2015 International Military-Technical Forum in June of this year, Kalashnikov showed off their products, including the AK-12, AK-15, and the new PL-14 pistol. Also present was the new upgrade kit for the AK-74 rifle, but what was missed by almost all Western outlets at the time was that, according to PredatorBDU.com, the Russian Army had already accepted orders of the kits for their rifle fleet:
Concern Kalashnikov has announced their Upgrade Kit for the AK-74M will soon be delivered to Russian Armed Forces and is being presented at the International Military – Technical Forum “Army 2015”, held in Kubinka from June 16-19. The modern rifle equipped with the new Kalashnikov Upgrade Kit can be altered to meet the needs of any tactical problem and expand the potential uses for the firearm.
“We have already completed the first order, and have a contract with the Ministry of Defence for the modernization supply”, said General Director of Concern Aleksey Krivoruchko. “The Upgrade Kit is inherently versatile and can be installed in just 15-20 minutes on any Kalashnikov rifle in service with the army and law enforcement agencies.”
The Upgraded stock and bolt cover, along with modern handguard and forearm with integrated Picatinny rail, as well as an ergonomic fire control can improve handling of the weapons in combat missions for a variety of weather conditions. Modernization of machines previously issued can be carried out both at industrial enterprises, as well as directly in the armed forces.
Apparently, the AK-12 and possibly also the A545 are to be ordered in small numbers, most likely to incrementally replace the AK-74 as the fleet ages and funding permits, and these upgrade kits will be purchased to modernized the serviceable AK-74s that already exist in inventory.
The upgraded AK-74 was shown off during the Russian Victory Day Parade in May in the hands of Russian troops, but no official word of Army purchase of the kits had yet been announced:
Nathaniel is a history enthusiast and firearms hobbyist whose primary interest lies in military small arms technological developments beginning with the smokeless powder era. He can be reached via email at nathaniel.f@staff.thefirearmblog.com.
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