#KORD

Previously in our Photo Of The Day article series, we took a look at pictures of the  AEK-919K Kashtan submachine gun and  DP-64 double-barreled grenade launcher, firearms designed by the Russian  Degtyarev Plant. In today’s POTD we have another interesting firearm developed by this company – the KORD rifle.

Russian state corporation Rostec has announced that they have developed the first Russian heavy machine gun reflex sight. This red dot sight is designed primarily for the .50 caliber Kord HMG that is widely used throughout the Russian armed forces both as a crew-served infantry weapon and mounted to various marine, aerial and ground vehicles. The new sight is developed by TSNII “Tsiklon”, which is a subsidiary of the  Ruselectronics Holding that in its turn, is part of Rostec Corporation.

Similar to many small arms in use by Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), the diversity of Soviet patterned Heavy Machine Guns is quite high among the ANSF forces of today. Almost to a point where every derivative and variant produced in other countries is represented within the ANSF ranks from the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP), Afghan National Army (ANA), the Nationa Directorate for Security (NDS), and the Afghan Border Police (ABP).

Being a defense show rather than a firearms industry show, there are a bunch of interesting products to see at AUSA that one might not get a peek at elsewhere. An example of this kind of product is the Modular Interlocking Ballistic Barriers from KF Armory. These barriers are made of a solid proprietary rubber-like material, can absorb impacts up to .50 cal (for the variant rated for that round), and can be assembled into walls and structures in very little time.

Australian technology company Kord Defense has been awarded an 18-month, $2.25 million United States Marine Corps developmental contract for development and production of a Rifle Accessory Control Unit (RACU), which would attach to existing M4 Carbines and M27 IARs and allow control the rifle’s accessories from one grip. ZDNet reports:

An image of a mysterious new Russian machine gun was leaked to the public recently, during a visit to the Kalashnikov factory by Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. The weapon is an intriguing dual-feed magazine/belt loading gun that features distinctly un-AK-like underbarrel gas tube, as well as integral top and bottom Picatinny-type rails. Little is known about the weapon besides its name which is reportedly “RPK-400” (Ручной пулемёт Калашникова -400, or “Handheld Kalashnikov Machine Gun 400”) EDIT: That is apparently the name of the modernized RPK-74 that is on the far left in the image

As part of the recent Russian re-armament program including the T-14 Armata man battle tank, the T-50 air superiority fighter, and the AK-12 and A545 rifles, the Federation has initiated a program for a new 5.45mm caliber squad support weapon, called “Tokar-2”. The weapon being developed uses a combined belt and magazine feed system, similar to the system utilized by the Belgian-American M249 5.56mm automatic rifle.

An old video posted in 2007. This soldier walks through smoke while wielding a Kord 12.7mm heavy machine gun and firing it.

Seriously. I have a new favorite show to follow. It is a Russian show called the “Proving Ground” (english name obviously), and is subtitled. In the episode I was directed to, they review a couple of weapons. The KORD machine gun and the ASVK 6S8 sniper rifle.