Russian arms manufacturer showcases assault rifles to PH embassy

Arkadiy Privalov, Deputy CEO and Vice-President of Concern Kalashnikov, points out the distinctive qualities of the SVD Dragunov sniper rifle. Photo by C. Narvaez-Bondad/DFA MEDIA

Russia’s largest arms manufacturer has briefed the Philippine Embassy in Moscow on its different assault rifles amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that the nation’s police force could look to Russia and China for weapons suppliers.

READ: Duterte turns to Russia for rifles

A Department of Foreign Affairs media release on Tuesday said manufacturer Concern Kalashnikov showed how AK 47 assault rifles has changed and how its improved model “could match and exceed the specifications of its competitors.”

“While there are no definite plans yet to purchase Russian small arms, I believe this briefing can be very useful in any comprehensive assessment of how to address our country’s defense needs,” Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta said in the statement.

Arkadiy Privalov, Deputy CEO and Vice-President of Concern Kalashnikov, discusses the features and attributes of the AK 101 which fires the same caliber bullet as the M4 Carbine. Photo by C. Narvaez-Bondad/DFA MEDIA

Sorreta said details of the briefing, held last November 3, will be reported to the DFA with a recommendation that it be shared with other government agencies.

“Any decision will have to be made by the concerned agencies as end users and also because they have the experience, expertise, and authority to make the necessary determinations,” Sorreta said.

Concern Kalashnikov, represented by Deputy CEO Arkadiy Privalov during the briefing, is the flagship of Russia’s small arms manufacturing sector. It manufactures assault and sniper rifles, guided artillery projectiles and a wide range of precision weapons. It produces 95 percent of the small arms in Russia and supplies more than 20 other countries.

READ: In the know: AK-47 assault and sniper rifles 

Sorreta said the embassy wanted to know if Russia “would support the Philippines’ own efforts to develop its small arms industry, as they have done in other countries that bought their weapons.”

He said they also discussed the possibility of government-to-government sales instead of going through middle men, which can result in inflation of prices.

Duterte said he is considering suppliers from other countries after the US state department said it would halt the sale of assault rifles to the Philippine National Police.

Duterte has been trading barbs with the US, especially after the latter raised concerns over the extrajudicial killings resulting from the administration’s war on drugs. JE