Tag archive

kalashnikov Weapon Systems

Weapon systems and military equipment tagged kalashnikov.

5 weapon systems

AKKS rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAKKS rifle7.62x39mm assault rifleSide: Islamic State Sinai ProvinceBuilt: Arsenal / BulgariaThe AKKS is the folding-stock Bulgarian AKK, a locally produced AK/AKS-47-pattern assault rifle associated with Arsenal's Kazanlak production line. In the Sinai Insurgency record it appears as a captured Islamic State Sinai Province small arm, identified in a 2017 weapons cache alongside Type 56, Zastava M70AB2, FN FAL, RPG, and machine-gun weapons.

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAK-103-2 assault rifle7.62x39mm assault rifle variantSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPBuilt: Izhmash / Kalashnikov Concern / RussiaThe AK-103-2 is the three-round-burst export variant of the Russian AK-103, a 7.62x39mm AK-100-series rifle derived from the AK-74M layout but chambered for the older AKM cartridge. In the Boko Haram Insurgency context, available open-source evidence is limited: the specific AK-103-2 identification comes from visual reporting of Boko Haram militants around Lake Chad, while separate Nigerian court reporting documents alleged AK-103 rifle trafficking from Diffa toward a Boko Haram recipient.

AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleSide: RussiaBuilt: Izhmash / Soviet UnionThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock variant of the Soviet AKM assault rifle, retaining the AKM's stamped receiver, gas-operated selective-fire action, and 7.62x39mm chambering while giving airborne, vehicle-mounted, and compact-carry users a shorter folded profile. In the Russia-Ukraine War, ARES documented a specific AKMS seized by Ukrainian police from an alleged Russian saboteur, illustrating how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles still appear alongside newer small arms.

AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familySide: FARC dissident groups / Armed gangs / Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) / Government of National Accord / Rebel and jihadist armed groups / IS-aligned militants / Islamic State / Islamic State Sinai Province / Rapid Support Forces / Taliban and allied militants / Houthi-Saleh forcesBuilt: Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia / China / multiple countriesAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 archive they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.

RPK/RPK-74, Squad automatic weapon / light machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsRPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunSide: Russia / Islamic StateBuilt: Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant Molot / Soviet Union / RussiaThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for sustained fire by infantry sections. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; both remain relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because legacy Soviet and Russian stocks continue to appear in front-line small-arms holdings.