Military Doctrine: AK-47

[FireBirdDS]

What was the doctrine behind the design and deployment of the AK-47?

 

[45calibre]

kill

 

[elliotle]

To be able to engage a man sized target out to 300m. Kalashnikov was a Soviet tank commander who was wounded towards the end of WWII. He began working on a new design for a reliable infantry rifle that accepted an intermediate cartridge. His research found that the vast majority of infantry engagements took place within 300m, so he designed the weapon to be as reliable as possible while maintaining accuracy out to that distance.

Good luck on asking questions Wikipedia could have answered to get up to your 50 posts.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Good luck on asking questions Wikipedia could have answered to get up to your 50 posts.

I like to hear what people have to say on here.

 

[TheRude1]

kill

Agreed

 

[Wild Deuce]

... 300m ... to be as reliable as possible while maintaining accuracy out to that distance.

^ this and ...

It also had to be able to be operated and maintained by millions of illiterate, uneducated, and ill equipped people within communist lands. I would say he succeeded.

 

[indykid]

The original Avtomat Kalashnikova was a homeland defense weapon. Originally brought to the soviet military by M. T. Kalashnikov in 1947, it was rejected because of a couple of items they didn't like. The rifle was redone and then approved in 1949.

The soviet designations were Avtomat Kalashnikova Types 1, 2, and 3. The production approved stamped steel replacement was the AKM, followed by the only AK with a date designation of AK-74 denoting the change in caliber. The US media had a field day with this evil weapon, and they gave it the "AK-47" designation that even Mr K has been quoted as using.

The Avtomat Kalashnikova, a homeland defense weapon that proved to be the defender of anyone. A true "people's rifle" unless you live in certain parts of the world that ban them, like right here!

 

[Keepingmine]

^ this and ...

It also had to be able to be operated and maintained by millions of illiterate, uneducated, and ill equipped people within communist lands. I would say he succeeded.

Yep I just got mine today.
I figure I can't see any further than 300 meters anymore, so it's the right weapon for me.

 

[elliotle]

^ this and ...

It also had to be able to be operated and maintained by millions of illiterate, uneducated, and ill equipped people within communist lands. I would say he succeeded.

Exactly, and by people who lived in arctic conditions that disabled other weapons all too frequently during WWII.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Even though it was deployed in "peacetime", it was a wartime design with emphasis on "cheap to produce". It's designed to be run by drunk conscripts or backwoods yokels in the jungle with minimal training and basically no maintenance. Standard Operating Procedure upon finding one buried in Mother Russia's mud after last year's Regimental exercises: retrieve from ground, pee into action, cycle bolt carrier, and get back to work. A hint to the doctrine may be found in the fact that the selector goes from safe to full to semi. It's meant to be a mass fire weapon in groups. Spray and pray.

 

[sloughfoot]

The purpose is to put down massive suppressive fire to overwhelm any defensive force.

It might be better to look up "assault rifle" to learn the doctrine.

 

[Sgt7330]

Look at the picture. See anything familiar?

StG 44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is the foundation of the AK-47, the principle of the weapon was put into play by the Germans before the Russians. They faced it and saw the benefit, thus we have the AK.
You could even argue that this thought led into our own M16 platform, same principle. More ammo, less range, quicker follow up shots.

 

[Disposable Heart]

The purpose is to put down massive suppressive fire to overwhelm any defensive force.

It might be better to look up "assault rifle" to learn the doctrine.

This.

The Soviet doctrine required large masses of men to overwhelm the enemy's position, sort of a mix of the blitz action of the Germans. Rather than an emphasis on squad support weapons (yes, they had RPKs and such), their emphasis was on individual firepower, each individual spraying an area with full automatic fire, entire masses of men and volume of fire rather than marksmanship. Same with the RPG: LOTS and LOTS of these issued out, smash and swarm via overwhelming amounts of explosives and lead on enemy positions, not necessarily accuracy.

Remember: Their policy was, in case of WW3, to smash the defenses of NATO and Europe, speed granted personnel carriers (BMP), Paratroopers taking key positions and massive amounts of artillery and airstrikes (potential use of Scuds/Frogs and even tactical nukes if need be). Not high tech or long range, but extreme power with the elegance of a shotgun blast at close range.

Russians = huge military, cheap reliable weapons that fire ALOT of ammunition with combined arms approach, albeit not on the level of the US later on in the Cold War. Smash quick, you don't want prolonged combat as it takes a while for supply to catch up (compared to Americans who had an extensive and efficient supply system, more technologically advanced ordnance, but less of it).

(Read it in a book, The Soviet War Machine, both the Army and Air Force books, as a kid ).

 

[JoP]

See...you guys made fun of this guy trying to build a post count (and I think you were right), but I'm pleasantly surprised at how fun and educational this post turned...at least it wasn't a glock v. 1911, .45 v 9mm, ar v ak....you name it we've seen it post!

You have to admire how well the AK does what it was designed to do. My father-in-law can't get over how much it has been used against us, but I think that they are an interesting tool.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

This.

The Soviet doctrine required large masses of men to overwhelm the enemy's position, sort of a mix of the blitz action of the Germans. Rather than an emphasis on squad support weapons (yes, they had RPKs and such), their emphasis was on individual firepower, each individual spraying an area with full automatic fire, entire masses of men and volume of fire rather than marksmanship. Same with the RPG: LOTS and LOTS of these issued out, smash and swarm via overwhelming amounts of explosives and lead on enemy positions, not necessarily accuracy.

Remember: Their policy was, in case of WW3, to smash the defenses of NATO and Europe, speed granted personnel carriers (BMP), Paratroopers taking key positions and massive amounts of artillery and airstrikes (potential use of Scuds/Frogs and even tactical nukes if need be). Not high tech or long range, but extreme power with the elegance of a shotgun blast at close range.

Russians = huge military, cheap reliable weapons that fire ALOT of ammunition with combined arms approach, albeit not on the level of the US later on in the Cold War. Smash quick, you don't want prolonged combat as it takes a while for supply to catch up (compared to Americans who had an extensive and efficient supply system, more technologically advanced ordnance, but less of it).

(Read it in a book, The Soviet War Machine, both the Army and Air Force books, as a kid ).

AND an almost total lack of regard to their own casualties or KIA.

-J-

 

[sig1473]

Look at the picture. See anything familiar?

StG 44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is the foundation of the AK-47, the principle of the weapon was put into play by the Germans before the Russians. They faced it and saw the benefit, thus we have the AK.
You could even argue that this thought led into our own M16 platform, same principle. More ammo, less range, quicker follow up shots.

Entirely different operating system. The StG 44 was refined into the Cetme/HK G3. Going by the principle of more ammo and less range, the US already had the M1 Carbine.

 

[totenkopf]

Entirely different operating system. The StG 44 was refined into the Cetme/HK G3. Going by the principle of more ammo and less range, the US already had the M1 Carbine.

They already had that long before the .30 Carbine, they just decided to scrap the Pedersen devices which would have given the 1903 that capability. Furthermore, I think it's possible to argue that the ideology which led to the BAR as helped to create an impetus for what leads to the modern assault rifle. IMHO, it's just a short historical hop from marching fire to the AK.

That said, +1 on calling out the people who make the inference that the AK is basically a refinement of the Stg. Good old Mikhail even refutes that in his book, as do Charlie Cutshaw, and Val Ishilin.

 

[jeremy]

What was the doctrine behind the design and deployment of the AK-47?

You first need to read up on the Warsaw Pact Battle Doctrine...

 

[Denny347]

The Soviets were a victim of their own success. The AK's are so reliable that there is no market for newly built AK74's. They just don't die. The world is saturated with them and those that have them...keep them.

 

[Excalibur]

What was the doctrine behind the design and deployment of the AK-47?

The designer wanted to make something that was simple to operate, clean and will work no matter what happens to it.