Russian paratroopers with a brand new assault rifle – PPK-20

By Boyko Nikolov

MOSCOW, ($1= 73.83 Russian Rubles) – On the occasion of the “Army 2021” weapons forum, which has just opened its doors in the vicinity of Moscow, the Kalashnikov group [a subsidiary of the Rostec conglomerate] lifted the veil on the latest version of the PPK-20, a new 9mm submachine gun intended for aircrews of the Russian aerospace forces.

Russian paratroopers with a brand new assault rifle - PPK-20
Photo credit: Opera News

41 cm long [with its butt folded in], which allows it to be placed on an ejection seat, this new weapon recently underwent successful tests at the Russian Defense Ministry’s State Test Center in Akhtubinsk, said Denis Fisenko, Kalashnikov’s deputy general manager for special projects.

Further testing is yet to be done before production can begin … when the Russian Defense Ministry decides to place an order. However, Mr. Fisenko argued that the PPK-20 has some “potential” for export as it might be of interest to special forces.

According to the gunsmith, the PPK-20 was designed based on the Vityaz-SN [or Izhmash PP-19-01] submachine gun, which was put into service with the Russian armed forces from 2008. And by compared to the latter, it displays significantly higher performance, with a range of 360 meters [against 200 meters]. As for the ammunition, it uses 7N21 cartridges, which can pierce a bulletproof vest displaying a level of protection of IIIA [ie it can absorb the maximum kinetic energy of 1,300 joules, note].

In the event of an ejection over hostile territory, pilots and other navigators are provided with personal weapons for self-defense, before a CSAR [Combat Search & Rescue] team arrives. And the trend now is to endow them with increased firepower, which goes beyond the single pistol. Thus, the Royal Dutch Air Force equipped its aircrew with Brugger & Thomet MP9 submachine guns while the US Air Force opted for the GAU-5A rifle, designed to fit into the survival kit placed on an ejection seat.

70K Kalashnikov assault rifles enter India, will replace SIG716

Russia and India signed an agreement for the immediate purchase of 70,000 AK-200 assault rifles, with arms deliveries set to begin in November this year, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, citing the Ministry of Defence of India.

The contract was signed between the Indian Ministry of Defense and Russian representatives in the presence of employees of Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, the rifle company that will lead the local production of AK submachine guns in India. These rifles are expected to arrive in the country in November this year, writes ThePrint.

They are expected to replace the INSAS 5.56x45mm (Indian Small Arms) rifles currently used in the army, navy, and air force, among other security forces, and will become a mainstay of the armed forces in the coming years. The Indian Armed Forces also use American SIG716 rifles with 7.62 × 51 mm cartridges, purchased by the army under a fast procedure.

The leading infantry will be equipped with SIG and the rest – with AK-203. However, several Indian military experts say it will not be news if the Indian government decides soon to replace the German SIG with a Russian Kalashnikov.

Both countries are working on a larger project to co-produce 6 million AK-203 rifles in India.

Earlier it became known that they decided to make the AK-203 the main assault weapon of the Indian army.

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