Tag archive

small arms Weapon Systems

Weapon systems and military equipment tagged small arms.

8 weapon systems

AK-12, 5.45 mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAK-125.45 mm assault rifleSide: Russia / UkraineBuilt: Kalashnikov Concern / RussiaThe AK-12 is a Russian 5.45x39 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as a modernized service weapon with improved ergonomics, accessory rails, optical-sight compatibility, and an adjustable folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian frontline small arm, while captured examples became visible in Ukrainian hands during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion.

AK-74M, 5.45 mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAK-74M5.45 mm assault rifleSide: RussiaBuilt: Kalashnikov Concern / RussiaThe AK-74M is the modernized Russian production model of the AK-74 family, chambered for 5.45x39 mm ammunition with black polymer furniture and a left-folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a baseline infantry rifle for Russian regular units, even as AK-12 rifles supplement it and older AKM rifles appear among mobilized troops.

PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsPKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: UkraineBuilt: Kovrov Mechanical Plant and licensed producers / Soviet Union, Russia, and licensed-production countriesThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide Warsaw Pact distribution make the family a common infantry fire-support weapon in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian units continue to operate PKM-pattern guns alongside newer and foreign-supplied machine guns.

PKP Pecheneg, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsPKP Pecheneg7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Russia / UkraineBuilt: TsNIITochMash / Degtyaryov Plant / RussiaThe PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62x54mmR belt-fed machine gun derived from the PKM but built around a heavier forced-air-cooled barrel and forward bipod for sustained squad fire. It remains a Russian infantry support weapon and has also appeared in Ukraine, including separatist use reported during the Donbas phase of the war and later Ukrainian use of captured examples.

AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleSide: Ukraine / Russian-backed separatist forcesBuilt: Izhmash / licensed manufacturers / Soviet Union / licensed producersThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Its lower production burden, broad Warsaw Pact and licensed manufacture, and large legacy stocks keep it visible in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian personnel have trained with AKM rifles and CAR documented AKM examples recovered from Russian-backed formations in eastern Ukraine.

AK-74, Assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

Infantry WeaponsAK-74Assault rifleSide: UkraineBuilt: Izhmash / Kalashnikov Concern / Soviet Union / RussiaA 5.45 mm assault rifle family that remains a common Ukrainian service weapon. It appears in many variants, including folding-stock and modernized configurations.

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.

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

Infantry WeaponsRPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunSide: Russia-aligned forcesBuilt: 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.