12.06.2003 02:38
UKRAINE-MODERNIZED KALASHNIKOV DEMONSTRATES UNBELIEVABLE ACCURACY OF HITS

A few days ago, the testing came to an end of the Kalashnikov automatic rifle modernized by the Research Center for Precision Engineering on order from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. This move indicates Ukraine s willingness to remain among the countries developing and manufacturing small-caliber arms. But whether this country will be able to emerge on the market for newly-made small arms remains to be seen. As maintained by small arms designers, it s clear even today that Ukraine is well in a position to fully provide its law enforcement agencies even considering specific missions assigned to them on its own.

As far as the 5.45-mm caliber Kalashnikov automatic rifle is concerned, its Ukraine-modernized version has demonstrated mildness of operation and high ergonomic characteristics during the testing. The police commandos who tested the Ukrainian version of the modernized Kalashnikov (the modernized version is adjusted particularly for riot police missions) singled out automated components of the rifle as operating particularly well after the upgrade.

But the most impressive was accuracy of hits that exceeded all expectations. Whereas target specification for the rifle demands a grouping of shots of no more than 13 centimeters in diameter with a distance of fire of 100 meters, the Ukrainian version showed the grouping of shots of just 5 centimeters.

The modernized Kalashnikov received high appraisals from experts at the Defense Ministry and Security Service. The modernization looks even more critical, given that Ukrainian army arsenals contain Kalashnikovs in huge numbers, which will hardly be ever sold to foreign countries.

The Kalashnikov s accuracy-of-hits characteristics attained by Ukraine s small weapons designers appear even more interesting, considering that the modernization of the rifle also included reducing the length of the barrel by 230 mm, for it is common knowledge that reducing the length of the barrel is conducive to some loss in the accuracy of hits.

As already reported by Defense Express, the modernization of the Kalashnikov automatic rifle includes, among other things, adjusting the design of the rifle to the needs of, for example, left-handed users. The rifle grip has been removed closer to the weapon s center of gravity to reduce the time needed to get the rifle ready to act from stowed position.

The Kalashnikov rifle would cost up to 50 euros to upgrade, provided the rifle upgrade process is brought to commercial levels.

Defense Express note: The Research Center for Precision Engineering, now administered by the National Space Agency of Ukraine, was founded in April 2000 as a result of reorganization of the state-owned holding company Kyiv s Radio Factory. The company is currently working on four sizeable enough contracts with the Defense Ministry. Now the company is well stocked with government orders until 2005.