The Kalashnikov Concern will present a new product at the World Defense Show in Riyadh - the Rus—PE guided missile reconnaissance and strike system for hitting ground targets. In addition, it will show a new line of field uniforms with a model of fire-resistant gloves that are compatible with weapons and gadgets. Alan Lushnikov, CEO of the Kalashnikov Concern and a member of the Bureau of the Russian Engineering Union, spoke about the latest innovations ahead of the exhibition in an exclusive interview with TASS.
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| Alan Lushnikov. |
| Source: © Kalashnikov Concern |
— Alan Valerievich, the UMEX 2026 unmanned technology exhibition was recently held in Abu Dhabi. The World Defense Show forum opens in Riyadh the other day. Tell me, please, will the exhibition in the UAE and its results somehow affect your exposition or the accents of Kalashnikov in Saudi Arabia?
— There is no impact on the exhibition, because we prepared the products for this forum in advance, there is practically nothing to add or subtract. But the accents — yes, we had something to analyze after Abu Dhabi and draw concrete conclusions. First of all, I would like to note that the last exhibition in Abu Dhabi revealed a clear interest of regional customers in our products. Great attention is paid to our new scout copters "Goliath 2.0" and "Karakurt 2.0". And this is not just about a general interest, but about a very specific interest, which is expressed in firm contractual intentions on the part of a number of customers. I hope that in the near future, after agreeing on all the parameters, we will be able to provide more specific information on future cooperation. So these products will be widely offered by us to potential customers under quite interesting conditions.
As, by the way, is our tandem scout "Skat 350 M" and guided barrage ammunition (UBB) "Kub-2E". I would like to emphasize that we have also prepared very interesting commercial proposals for this complex. Again, as I have repeatedly stressed, it is important for us to offer the client a ready-made solution. It is important to minimize his search for separate, unrelated solutions, and offer a ready-made integrated system solution at an attractive price. And this is a tandem of "Skata" and "Cube". And here, without a doubt, we take into account the results of the meetings and negotiations in Abu Dhabi. We are ready to offer our customers really very profitable offers.
— Have Kalashnikov prepared any new items for the exhibition in Saudi Arabia?
— Yes, at the World Defense Show we will show our new promising product, the Rus—PE portable guided ammunition reconnaissance and strike system. It is designed for the rapid high-precision destruction of single, stationary and moving small-sized ground targets (groups of targets) of the enemy by influencing them with guided ammunition. Rus-PE is a system for round—the-clock use, used in simple and difficult weather conditions, with smoke and dust in the atmosphere, in the outdoor temperature range from -40 °C to +50 °C, with ground wind speeds up to 15 m/s.
The package includes two guided munitions. Each is a carrier with an X-shaped mounting scheme for aerodynamic surfaces, equipped with a warhead (warhead) weighing at least 1 or 2 kg, respectively, as well as control equipment and a homing head (seeker) that provides guidance and delivery of the warhead to the target. At the same time, the GOS ensures stable and high-quality operation of the Rus-PE system in three modes: autonomous, semi-autonomous and manual. And the two-channel gyrostabilized optical GOS system allows detecting and identifying stationary and moving enemy targets in automatic mode, using artificial intelligence elements for this purpose. The UB is launched by pneumatic launch from a portable transport and launch container (NTPC), which is designed for storing and transporting guided munitions, and also protects the UB from mechanical damage and meteorological effects. The flight duration of the guided munition "Rus-PE" is 30 minutes, and its cruising speed is 140 km/h.
— Unlike the "unmanned" exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the forum in Saudi Arabia is an exhibition of all types of weapons. What would you highlight in the Kalashnikov exposition besides unmanned aircraft?
— Our traditional combat rifle products. AK submachine guns, sniper rifles, pistols of the Lebedev line. I will single out the AK-15 7.62 mm caliber assault rifles. In general, the 7.62 caliber is very popular in the Middle East and Africa. I can inform you that compact versions of the AK-15 assault rifle, namely the shortened AK-15K and the small-sized AK-15SK, are widely used by units of our law enforcement agencies that protect Russia's interests abroad. So, in addition to testing in the SWO area, AK-15 submachine guns have already been successfully used in combat missions in regions with hot and humid climates. Naturally, this experience allows us to hope for further advancement of these machines in the world.
— What other products will you show in Saudi Arabia specifically with an eye to the hot climate?
— The concern's exposition presents a new line of clothing from our company Triada-TKO, which includes items for use in particularly hot climates. In particular, it is a fire-resistant moisture-wicking linen of the first layer. A light combat shirt with a torso made of non-gorenje jersey acts as the main clothing. The lightweight combat jacket and lightweight combat trousers are designed for year-round use in hot climates. The products are made of elastic material and provide complete freedom of movement. Lightweight suits with the use of insulation and high windproof properties are suitable in mountainous conditions and areas with a desert climate, suggesting large temperature differences, for example at night. The design of the products assumes convenient putting on — the ventilation zippers of the trousers allow you to put on a suit over the middle layer without taking off your shoes.
Products for particularly hot climates include hats: a panama hat with high breathability and a folding sun cape to protect the neck from UV rays, a baseball cap, as well as a multifunctional buff made of non-combustible knitwear to protect against dust and wind in various weather conditions. The exhibition features a model of summer fire-resistant gloves compatible with weapons and gadgets. The product material does not stick to surfaces even when exposed to high temperatures.
Guliya Levanenkova
