'That's because AK-12 don't
have anything new besides
that rail.'
Well it has small changes, especially carabine that was showed to Putin. Nothing revolutionary, nothing that wasn't done by private gunsmiths.
Why common soldier needs modularity? Well contract soldiers usually become master of all trades. Sure conscript doesn't need anything modular, only modularity they need is ability to attach needle bayonet on their mosin. Line between specnaz and professional soldier gets blury especially in VDV.
About 9x39, I was under impression that it was widespread not only with internal troops.. Recon attachments and all that.
Panzergrenadiers used medium MGs as SAWs for a good effect. Is there any true reason to use US-style SAW aka Minimi except better munition logistics? Heavier ammunition mass is compensated with an additional man in a squad, heavier recoil isn't that limiting as MG isn't intended to fire wide bursts without a bipod. And 7,62x54 has much more range and power. And Pecheneg is more squad level friendly due to it is supposed to be operated by a single man than, say, MG-3.
Panzer shmanzer, german army is no model to follow anyways. Their weapons are alright, but their army is nothing to follow. And now they finally supplemented themselves with MG4.
Why US style? Why not Soviet? Soviets were leading in SAWs for a while. RPK was very useful in Astan. Especially in that terrain. Should I go down in the details why it's different than PKP? But still I've seen RPK used in video not so long ago in Kaliningrad drills.
It was frickin shame that my countries army doesn't have one and idiot brass doesn't see the difference. I still remember when I first attended multinational maneuvers. From three baltic midget armies we were the only ones with no proper designated marksman rifle, no squad automatic weapon and with outdated vanilla battle rifle Felt like a bomzh in Ostozhenka. Not to mention US troops who were kitted to the balls with then Iraq kit.
Yup, check this https://youtu.be/dDFkUhE8XJU?t=2m23sThis is a bullpub PKP on the picture, isn't it?
It has that street fighterish look of m60e4