Production of the compact SVDS model intended for special forces has increased 13 times compared to last year.
The Russian state concern Kalashnikov, the country’s largest small arms manufacturer, has announced a large-scale program to modernize the Dragunov (SVD) sniper rifle. The SVDS model is a compact version of the basic model with a folding stock, which has so far been used mainly by the airborne troops, marines and other elite units.
“The Kalashnikov concern has increased the production of 7.62-mm Dragunov sniper rifles with a folding stock (SVDS) 13 times compared to 2024. This is in response to increased demand in the area of special military operations,” the press service of the concern said in a statement, quoted by Russian media.
Although the SVDS barrel is a few centimeters shorter than that of the standard SVD (565 mm versus 620 mm), the weapon retains high accuracy and the ability to engage targets at distances up to 1,000 meters.
“The advantages of this rifle have been confirmed by three decades of successful operation. Semi-automatic action, compact design, low weight and high accuracy are undisputed advantages of the SVDS. It effectively helps our troops perform combat missions,” said the concern’s general director Alan Lushnikov.
The Dragunov rifle, designed by Yevgeny Dragunov in the 1950s, is a self-loading weapon designed to engage various targets at distances up to 1,200 meters. Technically, despite its name (“Dragunov Sniper Rifle”), it is not a sniper rifle in the classical Western sense, but rather a precision-shooting weapon in the infantry division (DMR).
Its purpose is to provide units with firepower at longer ranges than standard assault rifles, such as the AK-47 and its variants. Like the legendary assault rifle, the SVD is known for its exceptional reliability, ease of maintenance and operation, which makes it popular not only in regular armies, but also among various armed groups around the world.
The modernization includes changes to the folding stock, the addition of a Picatinny rail, and other optimizations based on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
In addition to the upgraded SVDS, Russian forces at the front are also receiving new supplies of the SV-98 manual-loading sniper rifles, which are intended for regular snipers.
Photo: Kalashnikov
