...The colonel spoke about the advantages of the new Kalashnikov light machine gun

MOSCOW, August 20 - RIA Novosti. The new RPL-20 light machine gun based on the RPK-16 undergoing testing will have interchangeable barrels of different lengths, so the problem of overheating will be solved, deputy chairman of the Strong Russia movement, Hero of Russia, Colonel Alexander Golovashkin told RIA Novosti on Thursday. 

Earlier, the general director of Kalashnikov, Dmitry Tarasov, told RIA Novosti that the concern had begun developing a new RPL-20 light machine gun commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Defense, its prototype will be presented at the Army-2020 forum.

"In the form in which the RPK-16 now exists, it has already undergone significant changes for the better in terms of modernization and ease of use compared to the previous model RPK-74. It has the ability to change the barrel, which made it possible to solve the problem of overheating during firing. , with barrels of different lengths: a long barrel for long-range shooting, for work in the field, and a short barrel for fighting in a group, in the city or indoors, "Golovashkin said.