NB: Updated, correcting "corporation" in the first paragraph to "concern."
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, August 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia's Izhmash arms factory, manufacturer of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, has been renamed the Kalashnikov Concern and will soon integrate several other defense plants into the new holding, the enterprise said Tuesday.
“Based on the decision by Rostech state corporation [the controlling shareholder in Izhmash], Izhmash has been renamed the Kalashnikov Concern. A relevant entry was made in the single state registry of corporate entities,” the enterprise said in a statement.
The renaming of Izhmash into Kalashnikov Concern is another step towards creating a vertically integrated small arms holding company, a move championed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees Russia’s arms industry.
Izhmash has been manufacturing Kalashnikovs since the world-famous assault rifle first went into series production in 1949. Izhmekh, another Izhevsk-based small arms manufacturer, will also be integrated into the Kalashnikov Concern.
Izhmash produces over 70 types of weapons, including firearms, aircraft guns and precision artillery rounds, as well as a variety of sporting and hunting weapons. The company won a $400 million Russian government contract in July to produce Vikhr anti-armor missiles.
