MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russia’s newest 40-mm caseless automatic grenade launcher (AGL) Balkan has successfully passed state trials, Executive Director of the Tecmash Research and Production Association (part of Technodinamika Group within the state tech corporation Rostec) Alexander Kochkin has told TASS.

"State trials of this piece of weaponry have been successfully completed, with recommendations to introduce it into service with the Russian armed forces," he said, adding that the weapon had earlier been adopted for operational evaluation by the Russian military.

Balkan is Russia’s newest automated grenade launcher designed to replace 30 mm AGLs (AGS-17 Plamya (Flame) and AGS-30) currently in service. According to Kochkin, its fire range is 25% wider and ammunition two times as powerful as that of AGS-17 and AGS-30.