Russian arms developer Kalashnikov has manufactured the first batch of AM-17 compact assault rifles chambered in 5.45-millimeter ammunition, moving the weapon closer to full-scale production.
The model has passed state and military certification, along with field trials in combat zones in Ukraine.
Feedback from those deployments prompted design adjustments, Moscow-based news agency Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.
The AM-17 program was launched based on requests from Russian troops for a compact self-defense firearm, with a design supporting armored vehicle crews, special forces, and law enforcement.
The weapon can fire all standard 5.45-millimeter ammunition used by the Russian military and has an effective range of about 400 meters (1,312 feet) with a rate of fire of approximately 800 rounds per minute.
It weighs about 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) and folds down to less than 50 centimeters (20 inches), making it easier to handle in vehicles, trenches, and during close-quarters combat in dense terrain or built-up areas.
Sources said the AM-17 reflects Russia’s broader push toward lighter and more mobile small arms, emphasizing adaptability for modern battlefields where rapid movement and urban warfare have become increasingly common.
New AK-15 Variant
The AM-17 announcement follows Kalashnikov’s unveiling of the AK-15 Type 3, an upgraded version of its 7.62-millimeter AK-15 rifle released in 2016.
The new model incorporates design features from the older AK-12 gas-operated assault system, including a modified muzzle device and sights, an ambidextrous fire selector, and the removal of the two-shot burst mode.
Similar to the AM-17, the upgraded AK-15 variant improvements were based on feedback from soldiers deployed on the frontlines, possibly in Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
The AK-15, formally adopted by the Russian military in 2020, remains in service with special forces and other units.
Meanwhile, Kalashnikov also expanded the line with shortened and compact variants, the AK-15K and AK-15SK, which were showcased earlier this year at a defense solutions convention in Abu Dhabi.
