RPK

The RPK (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, Russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова or "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun") is a 7.62×39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault rifle. It was created as part of a program designed to standardize the small arms inventory of the Red Army, where it replaced the 7.62×39mm RPD light machine gun. The RPK continues to be used by the armed forces of countries of the former Soviet Union and certain African and Asian nations. The RPK was also manufactured in Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania.

Design details

Operating mechanism

The RPK functions identically to the AK-47. It also uses the same 7.62×39mm ammunition. It has a similar design layout to the AKM and AK-47 series of rifles, with modifications to increase the RPK's effective range and accuracy, enhance its sustained fire capability, and strengthen the receiver.

Features

Most notably, the RPK has a heavier and longer barrel than an AKM. This allows the RPK to fire for extended periods of time without major loss in accuracy due to the barrel heating up. The chrome-lined barrel is permanently fixed to the receiver, and cannot be replaced in the field. It is fitted with a new front sight base, gas block (lacks the bayonet lug) and an under-barrel cleaning rod guide. The barrel also features a folding bipod, mounted near the muzzle, and a front sight base with a lug that limits the bipod's rotation around the axis of barrel. The barrel's muzzle is threaded, enabling the use of muzzle devices such as flash hiders, compensators, and blank-firing adapters. When a muzzle device is not being used, the threads on the muzzle can be covered by a thread protector. The barrel is pinned to the receiver in a modified trunnion, reinforced by ribbing, and is slightly wider than the trunnion used on standard AKM type rifles. Symmetrical bulges on both sides of the front trunnion ensure proper fit inside the receiver.

AK-101

The AK-101 is an assault rifle of the Kalashnikov series. The AK-101 is designed for the world export market, using 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges, which is the standard of most NATO armies. The AK-101 is marketed at those looking for a weapon that combines the logistical compatibility and familiarity of the 5.56×45mm NATO round with the reliability of a Kalashnikov. It is designed with modern and composite materials, including plastics that reduce weight and improve accuracy. Many of the improvements found in the AK-101 are also present in the AK-103 and the rest of the AK-10x series of rifles.

The AK-101 is a selective fire weapon that can be fired in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode. The disassembly procedure for the AK-101 is identical to that of the AK-74. The AK-101 has an attachment rail installed on the side of the receiver for mounting scopes and other optical sights, which will accept most types of Russian and European AK optics. The rifle accepts most synthetic and metal AK-74-style magazines with 30-round capacity. The AK-101 has a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel with an AK-74 style muzzle brake attached to the barrel to control muzzle climb.

RPK-2 Vyuga

The RPK-2 Vyuga (Russian: РПК-2 Вьюга, meaning blizzard), also designated 81R, and identified by NATO as Starfish and the United States Department of Defense as SS-N-15, is a Soviet submarine-launched, nuclear-armed anti-submarine missile system, launched exclusively through 533mm torpedo tubes. The system was designed in Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR in 1960s.

Analogous to the now retired Subroc missile carried by US Navy submarines, it is designed to be fired from a 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tube. It is boosted by a choice of mechanisms depending on model before clearing the water, firing a solid fuel rocket and delivering its payload up to 45 km (28 mi) away. The payload ranges from a simple depth charge to a 200 kt nuclear warhead.

The RPK-2 uses a 82R torpedo or 90R nuclear depth charge in the 533 mm version, and a 83R torpedo carrying or 86R nuclear depth charge in 650 mm version.

Both submarine- and surface-launched versions exist. The surface-launched versions are used by the Slava, Kirov, Neustrashimyy and Udaloy classes. The submarine-launched versions are used by the Akula, Oscar, Typhoon, Delta, Kilo, and Borey classes. However, the munition package used in either is identical and hence the ship-launched version is launched into the water and submerges before firing its engines.