Russia has announced the development of a new 5.45 mm submachine gun designed to meet the needs of its armed forces, with testing currently underway. This information comes from a report by TASS citing a source within the country’s military-industrial complex.
According to the insider, the weapon, created by a major domestic arms manufacturer, has progressed to the state testing phase and is said to be fully ready for evaluation. The same source indicated plans to produce export variants in calibers of 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm NATO, potentially broadening its international reach.
Earlier, on January 12, statements from the head of Russia’s Ministry of Defense suggested that the nation was nearing completion of testing for a high-precision, noise-resistant, combined military materiel system. The official noted improvements in accuracy for guided weapons and enhanced protection of projectiles against electronic warfare. He also mentioned ongoing mass production of guided planning and correction modules, modular guided bombs, and rocket ammunition control units.
There have been prior developments indicating that Russian paratroopers and special forces have begun training with NATO-style weapons, signaling a shift in training and operational readiness for units that are expected to operate with allied standards and interoperability in certain contexts. This transition underscores ongoing modernization efforts across the armed forces and the broader defense industrial sector. [Source attribution: TASS]