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The newest AK-12 assault rifle produced by the Kalashnikov small arms manufacturer for the Ratnik (Warrior) ‘soldier of the future’ infantry combat gear has passed all the stages of its operational evaluation in the troops, as Kalashnikov press office told tass.com.

The AK-12 is expected to become operational in the Russian Army as the basic long-barrel firearm.

The Ratnik future system allows Putin’s troops to advantage of the very latest technology. It is a system of advanced protective and communication equipment, weapons and ammunition. It comprises around 40 protective and life support elements and allows a soldier to get continuously updated information about the situation in the combat area. In addition, the Ratnik includes a self-contained heater, a backpack, an individual water filter, a gas mask and a medical kit.

An advanced Ratnik-3 combat gear with an integral exoskeleton and a helmet visor-mounted target designation system is currently being developed for Russia’s Armed Forces.

Kalashnikov Group Director for External Relations Sofiya Ivanova earlier told TASS that the operational evaluation of the AK-12 assault rifle for the Ratnik combat outfit will be completed in the Russian Army in the first half of this year.

According to mirror.co.uk, the newest derivative of the assault rifle has been under development since 2011. The creators of the AK-12 say it has undergone a host of modifications after the Russian Ministry of Defence at one stage said it would not be buying the gun.

The latest version of the AK-12 can take a magazine of up to 30 bullets and can be used with a tripod for shooting from the ground.

Among the gun’s main features are its improved ergonomics compared to previous models. The new AK-12 also has less recoil, an improved cooling system, is lighter and shorter, and is easier to use in combat as it can be loaded with just one hand.