MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. The Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for the 5.56x45 mm NATO caliber cartridge, has aroused great interest among foreign customers, the president of the Kalashnikov concern, Alan Lushnikov, told TASS.

"The assault rifle [AK-19 chambered for the NATO cartridge] is of great interest to various foreign customers," he said.

The AK-19 assault rifle was created on the basis of the AK-12, approved for use by the Russian Armed Forces in 2018.

The new model is equipped with Picatinny rails, an original telescopic stock, a new diopter sight and a snap-on device for silent and flameless shooting. The automatic rifle is completely adjusted to foreign market requirements. The concern has stressed that the AK-19 remains efficient, reliable and easy to maintain in hot, humid and dusty environments round the clock.

For the first time, the AK-19 was shown at the Army-2020 International Military-Technical Forum. It was displayed abroad for the first time at IDEX 2021, the largest weapons show in the Middle East, held in Abu Dhabi (the UAE).