Armenia to Produce 50,000 Kalashnikov Rifles Annually, Night Vision Devices: Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the newly opened Kalashnikov rifle production facility in Armenia, accompanied by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and Minister of High-tech Industry Hakob Arsakyan. During the tour of the assembly workshop for the AK-103 Kalashnikov rifles based at the Neutron GAM LLC factory, the Prime Minister was briefed on the production process. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Armenia, Sergey Kopirkin, also participated in the tour.

Pashinyan was informed that the facility is set to produce 50,000 rifles annually. Additionally, plans are in place to manufacture nano fibers and various items constructed from nano fibers. In particular, optical-electronic devices and night vision thermal scopes will be produced here. Full-scale production will commence after comprehensive testing, meeting the requirements of the Armenian Ministry of Defense within a year.

The agreement for producing the well-known Russian rifle in Armenia was signed in August 2018 between Royalsys Engineering Ltd. and the Kalashnikov Concern. Part of the production will supplement the Armed Forces of Armenia, while the remainder will be exported.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the significance of establishing the Kalashnikov rifle production in Armenia, viewing it as a result of close cooperation between Armenia and Russia in the military-industrial sector. He also learned about the upcoming plans of the Neutron GAM LLC factory, which include relocating ammunition production from Yerevan to a facility in the Kotayk region. After renovating and upgrading the production lines, the factory will begin manufacturing ammunition in calibers of 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54mm, 12.7mm, 9x18mm, and 9x19mm, which will also create new job opportunities.

Contracts worth approximately $24 million have been discussed with Russia's Spetsmash Engineering for acquiring modern and updated production lines and equipment for the manufacture of 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54mm, and 12.7mm ammunition, as well as refurbishing existing Soviet-era production lines. Furthermore, there are plans to establish repair workshops for automotive and armored vehicles based on the branch located in the Kotayk region.