IZHEVSK, January 16 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s weapon maker Izhmash has started creating a corporation that will bear the name of Kalashnikov, the inventor of the automatic rifle, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin wrote in his Twitter blog.
“In the evening I met with the Izhmash leadership. We drew up the guidelines for the company’s recovery and the creation of Kalashnikov Corporation,” he wrote.
Izhmash spokeswoman Yelena Filatova said Rogozin met with the plant’s director-general, Konstantin Busygin.
Udmurtia President Alexander Volkov told reporters that the republic’s authorities hope with the deputy prime minister’s support to sort out the situation with Izhmash that is undergoing bankruptcy procedures.
“Naturally, it will take twelve or eighteen months to settle bankruptcy-related affairs, but the plant’s team will work more effectively this year than in 2012,” he said.
At last year’s meeting with President Vladimir Putin Rogozin initiated a merger of the country’s two weapon makers – Izhmash and Izhmekh based in the Republic of Udmurtia.
The deputy minister believes that the creation of a corporation under the brand Kalashnikov will help to consolidate efforts in the production of civilian firearms and to keep designers’ potential in Izhevsk.
Izhmash is Russia’s largest manufacturer of automatic and sniper rifles, guided canon projectiles and a wide range of civilian weapons – hunting and sporting rifles and machine tools. The plant was established in 1807. Izhmash exports its goods to 27 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Italy, Canada, Kazakhstan and Thailand.
The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant is a multi-purpose enterprise with technologies of machine-building, metallurgy, engineering, microelectronics. It manufactures civilian and service weapons, electric tools, oil, gas and wrapping equipment, medical devices and steel castings. The plant mainly focuses on the production of sporting and hunting rifles and pistols.