Moscow:

The United States’ plan to periodically station long-range missiles in Germany will lead to Cold War-style confrontation between Russia and the West, the Kremlin said Thursday.

The White House announced the decision on Wednesday during a NATO summit in Washington, arguing the stationing of long-range weapons including Tomahawk cruise missiles in Europe acts as a deterrent.

“We are taking steady steps towards the Cold War,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a state TV reporter.

“All the attributes of the Cold War with the direct confrontation are returning,” he said.

He added Washington’s decision gave Russia “a reason to pull together” and “fulfil all the goals” of its military campaign in Ukraine.

NATO countries spearheaded by the United States have bolstered their defences in Europe in the wake of Russia’s 2022 offensive against neighbouring Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the planned deployment of the US weapons in his country, calling the move a “necessary and important decision at the right time”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The AK-47 assault rifle is a widely recognised weapon known for its simplicity, reliability, and effectiveness. Originally designed for military use, it has become a powerful symbol associated with revolutions, rebellions, and even national identity. However, this iconic firearm has also had a devastating impact, contributing to countless deaths in pursuit of wartime objectives, political agendas, and social change.

From Soldier’s Vision to Soviet Workhorse (1945-1949):

According to BBC, the story of AK-47 begins with Mikhail Kalashnikov, a Red Army tank mechanic. Witnessing the limitations of Soviet firearms during World War II, particularly in harsh winter conditions, Kalashnikov envisioned a robust and user-friendly assault rifle. 

He began work on his design in 1945. The official trials in 1947 saw the birth of the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Automatic Kalashnikov), or AK-47, named after the year of its development.

The AK-47’s genius lies in its simplicity. Unlike its contemporaries, it prioritised reliability over ornate features. A stamped steel receiver kept costs low, while a gas-operated system ensured smooth operation even with minimal maintenance. This focus on practicality resonated with the Soviet military, leading to its official adoption in 1949.

According to CNN, here are the basic details of the AK-47 rifle:

Primary function: 7.62-mm assault rifle

Weight: 9.4 pounds (4.3 kilogrammes) with a 30-round curved box magazine

Rate of fire:

100 rounds per minute (sustained)

600 rounds per minute (cyclic)

Effective range: 990 feet (300 metres)

Other features:

One of the most widely used assault rifles since production began in the early 1950s in the former Soviet Union.The modern version is the AKM rifle.Iraq has produced two copies: the 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm Tabuk rifles.

A Global Phenomenon: Proliferation and Impact (1950s-Present):

The AK-47’s impact goes far beyond the Soviet Union. The Cold War saw the weapon become a cornerstone of Soviet foreign policy. Friendly nations received vast stockpiles, fostering an environment of proxy conflicts across the globe. 

The Vietnam War exemplified this, with North Vietnamese forces wielding the AK-47 against American troops equipped with the more complex M16. While the US ultimately won the war, the AK-47’s effectiveness exposed the limitations of high-maintenance weaponry in guerrilla warfare.
Beyond state actors, the AK-47 became a prized possession for rebel groups due to its affordability, ease of use and abundance on the black market. 

The fighters in Afghanistan, for instance, used the AK-47 to successfully repel the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. This success story emboldened resistance movements worldwide, transforming the AK-47 into a potent symbol of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles.

Economic and Industrial Impact:

The AK-47’s proliferation was not just driven by military strategy; economic factors played a crucial role. The Soviet Union prioritised mass production, utilising stamped steel components and innovative manufacturing techniques to keep costs low. This focus on affordability, as scholar Matthew Carr argues in his book ‘The Kalashnikov Rifle: The Arms Maker and the Weapon Changed the World’, allowed the Soviets to not only equip their own vast army but also flood the international market with cheap, reliable AK-47s.

Furthermore, the Soviet Union employed a novel licensing strategy. Eastern Bloc nations like Bulgaria, Romania and (formerly) East Germany were granted permission to produce the AK-47 under license. This not only expanded production capacity but also created a network of regional suppliers, further accelerating the weapon’s global reach. According to Mikhail Kalashnikov himself, in his autobiography ‘The Gun Designer’, over 20 countries produced some variant of the AK-47 by the end of the Cold War.

‘Weapon of the Century’

The AK-47’s ubiquity is staggering. Countless articles, documentaries, books, and even movies mention its impact on global conflicts and the black market. A prime example is the documentary ‘Weapon of the Century.’ It takes viewers on a chronological journey through various wars, showcasing how the AK-47 adapted to each specific scenario. From frigid battlefields to dense jungles and even urban environments, the documentary builds the AK-47’s legend, tracing its path from battlefield trials to an enduring legacy.

AK-47: A Legacy of Power and Paradoxes

The AK-47’s legacy is a complex one. It is both a tool for liberation and an instrument of destruction. While its design brilliance and global reach are undeniable, its impact on individuals and societies has been far from uniform. As we move forward, understanding the multifaceted nature of this iconic weapon is crucial to addressing the challenges of global conflict and fostering lasting peace.

AK-47 Inventor Wrestled with the Moral Burden of Design

According to The BBC, Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the AK-47, wrote a letter to Patriarch Kirill in May 2012, expressing fears of moral responsibility for the deaths caused by his rifle. He described enduring “spiritual pain” and questioned if he, as a Christian, was to blame. The letter, published in Izvestia, reveals his struggle with this guilt, signed as “a slave of God, the designer Mikhail Kalashnikov,” shortly before his death in 2013. Mikhail Kalashnikov died on December 23, 2013, at the age of 94.

A truck transports a military vehicle towards Warsaw in Poland, on February 20, 2024. There has been a significant increase in the movement of military equipment on almost all roads in Poland due to NATO’s largest military exercise in decades, Steadfast Defender-24.
| Photo Credit: AFP

The story so far: The North Atlantic Treaty Council (NATO) started its largest military exercise in Europe — the Steadfast Defender 2024 — at the end of January, which is being seen as a statement of solidarity against Russia, after two years of its invasion of Ukraine. The exercise is being conducted in two parts — the first phase began January end and will last till mid-March and focus on maritime reinforcement across the Atlantic and in the Arctic. The second phase (mid-February to end of May) will focus on using deployed reinforcements across all domains, from the Arctic to the Eastern Flank.

What is the military exercise all about?

According to NATO, the military exercise incorporates land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations to enhance civil-military cooperation. Over 90,000 troops from 31 NATO allies as well as special invitee Sweden are expected to participate in the exercise over the next few months.

During the first phase (Transatlantic reinforcement) of the exercise, North American forces are scheduled to move to Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. The phase includes live maritime exercises and amphibious assault training in the North Atlantic and Arctic Seas.

The second phase will focus on multi-domain exercises across Europe and will test the rapid deployment of troops within the NATO borders.

Why is it significant?

NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024 is the largest exercise conducted by the alliance since the Cold War. Its main purpose is to highlight its collective military might and commitment to the security of its members, seemingly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With a fleet of over 50 naval units alongside over 80 aircraft and more than 1,100 combat vehicles, the military exercise is a “clear demonstration of our unity, strength and determination to protect each other, our values and the rules-based international order,” American General Christopher G. Cavoli said in a statement.

While official statements have mostly reiterated that the exercise is a show of the strength and unity of NATO allies, experts believe that its main purpose is to deter Russia from expanding operations in Ukraine, and to even serve as a warning to Kremlin. European countries and the U.S. have, time and again, pledged their support to Ukraine against Russia in the form of statements of solidarity as well as financial commitments.

Earlier in February, the U.S. Senate approved a $95 billion aid package that includes funds for Ukraine (although right-wing U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated his Republican-led chamber will reject it.) France, another founding member of NATO, has pledged $3.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year. Germany, on the other hand, pledged $1.2 billion package of military aid, including 36 howitzers, 120,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and two more air-defence systems, to Ukraine. Overall, the European Union and its member States (EU is an alliance of 27 member States of which 22 are in NATO), have made $148.5 billion available to Ukraine, including its recently announced support package of $54 billion, since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Institute for the Study of War reported. The recent round of financial assistance promised to Ukraine solidifies EU and NATO’s continuous support to the country’s efforts against Russia, which makes the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise even more significant.

The exercise is strategically located in European countries including Finland, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. . While the countries are spread across the continent, special focus has been given to those around the Baltic Sea. This is significant in relation to Russia, as Russian exclave Kaliningrad is situated between EU and NATO members Lithuania and Poland, and is also the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic Sea fleet, and the country’s only ice-free European port. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, around 57% (by volume) of Russia’s total oil exports were shipped from the Russian Baltic Sea port in September 2023.

EU countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which are geographically closer to Russia, also act as bases for NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) – multinational battalion-size troops led by the U.K., Canada, Germany, and the U.S.

Alongside traditional theatreslike land, air, and sea, this military exercise will also incorporate cyber and space operations, making it more relevant to the present. By training together as against training at a national level, NATO member states seek to strengthen their ability to collaborate in real-world operations.