AK-47 turns 60, rifle designer honoured
New Delhi: The AK-47 has just celebrated its 60th birthday. In fact, a function was organised in Moscow in honour of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the rifle on Friday.
The celebrations were organised outside the military museum there.
Kalashnikov was given a guard of honour. In 60 years AK-47 has been used by the military, terrorists and even African child soldiers.
Sixty years after the AK-47 went into production, Kalashnikov says he doesn't stay awake at night worrying about the bloodshed wrought by the world's most popular assault rifle.
''I sleep well. It's the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,'' Kalashnikov said on Friday at the ceremony marking the birth of the rifle.
Since production began, more than 100 million AK-47s have been made _ either at the home factory in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, under license in dozens of other countries, or illegally.
The Director of the Russian arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport, Sergei Chemezov, said nearly a million a year are produced without license.
The AK-47 has been a mainstay in wars, coups, terrorist attacks, robberies and other mayhem. Its popularity comes from being rugged and easy to maintain, though its accuracy is not high.
It proved ideal and extremely reliable for warfare in jungle or desert - easily assembled and able to keep firing in sandy or wet conditions that would jam a US-made M-16.
The celebrations were organised outside the military museum there.
Kalashnikov was given a guard of honour. In 60 years AK-47 has been used by the military, terrorists and even African child soldiers.
Sixty years after the AK-47 went into production, Kalashnikov says he doesn't stay awake at night worrying about the bloodshed wrought by the world's most popular assault rifle.
''I sleep well. It's the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,'' Kalashnikov said on Friday at the ceremony marking the birth of the rifle.
Since production began, more than 100 million AK-47s have been made _ either at the home factory in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, under license in dozens of other countries, or illegally.
The Director of the Russian arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport, Sergei Chemezov, said nearly a million a year are produced without license.
The AK-47 has been a mainstay in wars, coups, terrorist attacks, robberies and other mayhem. Its popularity comes from being rugged and easy to maintain, though its accuracy is not high.
It proved ideal and extremely reliable for warfare in jungle or desert - easily assembled and able to keep firing in sandy or wet conditions that would jam a US-made M-16.
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