The Russian Federation Defense Ministry signed contracts for the supply of new Chukavin sniper rifles to its armed forces, Alan Lushnikov, president of Kalashnikov Concern, told RIA news on Friday.
"The Ministry of Defense is already purchasing semi-automatic Dragunov sniper rifles. We have signed a contract for this year, next year and the following years," he said.
According to Reuters, the AK-12 will have its two-round burst cut-off disabled and will have a two-way control of firing modes, as well as an adjustable cheek rest.
"In the shortest possible time, we selected technical solutions, made a prototype and demonstrated it to representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense," Lushnikov said.
Lushnikov didn't say when the modernized weapon will be used in service, saying that it is still in the design documentation stage.
What is the AK-12 assault rifle?
The AK-12 assault rifle that was developed by Kalashnikov has a caliber of 5.45 millimeters and an improved accuracy over its earlier versions, among other features.
The assault rifle will replace the System of Dragunov's (SVD) rifle, the main sniper rifle of the Russian army, according to Russian reports.
RIA reported that the final testing of the newer modernized version of the AK-12 was completed last fall.