Text by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Kalashnikov to Present for the First Time the Latest AK-12 Shortened and AK-12 Compact Assault Rifles at IDEX 2025.
Kalashnikov Concern will exhibit for the first time the latest 5.45mm AK-12 shortened (AK-12K) and 5.45mm AK-12 compact (AK-12SK) assault rifles at the IDEX 2025 International Exhibition of Arms and Defense Technologies, which will be held from 17 to 21 February in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).
The AK-12K and AK-12SK are chambered for 5.45x39 mm and are designed to destroy enemy manpower. They have improved technical, ergonomic and operational characteristics that meet the requirements of modern combat.
When firing from them, in particular, 5.45 mm cartridges with a regular 7N6 bullet, 5.45 mm cartridges with a 7N10 high-penetration bullet, as well as 5.45 mm cartridges with 7T3 and 7T3M tracer bullets are used. The capacity of the AK-12K and AK-12SK magazines is 30 rounds. The machine guns are equipped with a low-noise shooting device (LSD) weighing no more than 0.8 kg.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle AK-12K
∙ Caliber, mm - 5.45
∙ Weight without magazine, belt and accessories, kg, no more than - 3.4
∙ Length of the assault rifle without PMS, mm, no more than:
- in the combat position - 810
- in the stowed position - 570
∙ Barrel length, mm - 290±20
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle AK-12SK
∙ Caliber, mm - 5.45
∙ Weight without magazine, belt and accessories, kg, no more than - 3.2
∙ Length of the assault rifle without PMS, mm, no more than:
- in the combat position - 750
- in the stowed position - 500
∙ Barrel length, mm - 228±20
SVO encourages Kalashnikov to speed up the renewal of its model range.
