The AEK-999 Barsuk (russian: Барсук, "

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...

") is a

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...

chambered for the

7.62×54mmR The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late tsarist era and throughout th ...

round. It is a

general-purpose machine gun A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for v ...

, developed during the 1990s as a modernized version of the PKM to improve its capabilities in the LMG/

SAW A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...

role. The AEK-999 was to be capable of sustained automatic fire without requiring a quick-change barrel, and better suited for assault operations where it could be fired from the hip or from the integral

bipod A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively. Bip ...

. The AEK-999 was developed by the Kovrov Mechanical Plant for the Russian Armed Forces, but lost in military trials to the

Pecheneg The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პაჭ ...

machine gun which was developed under the same requirements. Kovrov produced small batches of the AEK-999 for the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

to equip special forces units of the

Internal Troops of Russia The Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (VV; russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел (ВВ), ''Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del'' ...

, but all military production ceased in 2006.

Design

The AEK-999 uses the same receiver group as the PKM. The most important change is a new barrel, made of the same steel used in aviation machine guns for greater durability. This new barrel is partially

fluted Fluting may refer to: *Fluting (architecture) * Fluting (firearms) * Fluting (geology) * Fluting (glacial) *Fluting (paper) Arts, entertainment, and media *Fluting on the Hump ''Fluting on the Hump'' is the first album by avant-garde band Kin ...

to save weight and improve heat dissipation, and is provided with a mirage top cover and more effective

muzzle brake A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...

. This new barrel can be removed from the gun for inspection or maintenance, but it is not a quick-change barrel for swapping out in combat situations. To further enhance its capabilities, the AEK-999 is fitted with a small polymer forend under the barrel, and the folding bipod is moved forward and attached to the barrel rather than the gas tube. If necessary, the AEK-999 can be equipped with a

suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and muzzle rise when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, b ...

. It can also accept all standard PKM accessories, including tripod mount, and 100-round clip-on belt boxes.

References

World Guns

External links

AEK-999 (overview)

AEK-999 (shown with different muzzle devices)

AEK-999 (pic 1)

AEK-999 (pic 2)
{{General Purpose Machine Guns 7.62×54mmR machine guns Machine guns of Russia General-purpose machine guns Military equipment introduced in the 2000s

Design

See also

References

External links