![\"AK2\"](\"https:\/\/hcsblogdotorg.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/06\/ak2.jpg\")
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U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees some of America\u2019s most elite forces, is exploring the possibility of having American companies manufacture Russian-designed weapons, such as the AK-47, that are ubiquitous in war zones.<\/p>\n
First reported<\/a> by the Tampa Bay Times, Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, posted a\u00a0\u201csources sought\u201d solicitation<\/a> for non-standard weapons on a federal contracting site early last month. In April, the command\u00a0posted a similar notice for non-standard weapon ammunition<\/a>. The term \u201cnon standard\u201d is used for weapons not frequently employed by the United States or its NATO allies.<\/p>\n \u201cFor this solicitation, we are exploring capabilities and capacity within [the United States\u2019] industrial base to build the types of weapons many of our foreign partners use,\u201d Navy Cmdr. Matt Allen, a SOCOM spokesman, said in an email.<\/p>\n SOCOM\u2019s solicitation includes weapons such as the iconic \u201cAK-47\u2033 rifle, a catchall designator for Kalashnikov-variant rifles designed to fire a certain type of\u00a0ammunition and often identified by their distinctive curved magazines. Other weapons include the SVD, a unique\u00a0looking sniper rifle that has likely killed thousands of U.S. troops since it was first introduced in the years leading up to the Vietnam War. Additionally, Russian medium and heavy machine guns as well as 14.5mm aircraft guns are included in the notice.<\/p>\n While\u00a0the United States has sent American-made weapons to the\u00a0Afghan military and Iraqi security forces, the presence of U.S. equipment in foreign hands can be problematic. Recently, U.S.-backed groups in Syria have been spotted with American\u00a0equipment, including heavy machine guns and sniper rifles. Although likely more accurate than their Soviet-style counterparts, U.S. weapons can make the fighters carrying them targets for other factions.<\/p>\n Aside from standing out, U.S. weapons can also be difficult to maintain, prompting Special Operations Command and the CIA to procure and supply weapons that their allies are used to fighting with, such as Kalashnikovs.\u00a0To do this, the U.S. government often contracts with smaller companies to buy and ship the\u00a0weapons.<\/p>\n