The US Breaks Own Embargo to Supply AK-47s to Afghanistan
Despite the ban on the purchases of Russian weapons, the Pentagon buys Kalashnikov assault rifles and delivers them to the Afghan army
Dan Arkin
| 20/03/2017
Despite sanctions and a ban on cooperation with the Russian defense industry, RBTH reports that the Pentagon is buying Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles to arm the Afghan National Army.
"The Americans are not buying weapons directly from Russia, but through former Warsaw Pact countries," said Sergey Chemezov, head of the state-owned defense corporation, Rostec.
The Kalashnikovs purchased by the US are old weapons that have been in depots in Eastern European countries since Soviet times, as well as new ones manufactured under license in Poland and Bulgaria.
Dmitry Safonov, a military analyst, told RBTH that the Pentagon might also have organized purchases from Ukraine of caliber 5.45 x 39 mm AK-47s for the Afghan army.
Experts believe that the Americans prefer the Russian assault rifle because of its superior qualities. "The Afghan army has used Kalashnikovs for decades because they function flawlessly in the region's stony deserts and arid areas," Safonov added.
It is also reported that the Americans tried to nudge the Afghan army onto American-made weapons (AR15, M16, etc.), but they proved more difficult and temperamental compared with the AK-47.
Despite the ban on the purchases of Russian weapons, the Pentagon buys Kalashnikov assault rifles and delivers them to the Afghan army
Despite sanctions and a ban on cooperation with the Russian defense industry, RBTH reports that the Pentagon is buying Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles to arm the Afghan National Army.
"The Americans are not buying weapons directly from Russia, but through former Warsaw Pact countries," said Sergey Chemezov, head of the state-owned defense corporation, Rostec.
The Kalashnikovs purchased by the US are old weapons that have been in depots in Eastern European countries since Soviet times, as well as new ones manufactured under license in Poland and Bulgaria.
Dmitry Safonov, a military analyst, told RBTH that the Pentagon might also have organized purchases from Ukraine of caliber 5.45 x 39 mm AK-47s for the Afghan army.
Experts believe that the Americans prefer the Russian assault rifle because of its superior qualities. "The Afghan army has used Kalashnikovs for decades because they function flawlessly in the region's stony deserts and arid areas," Safonov added.
It is also reported that the Americans tried to nudge the Afghan army onto American-made weapons (AR15, M16, etc.), but they proved more difficult and temperamental compared with the AK-47.
