AK related stories 

Bullet proof Tata Safari at Rs 60 lakh

Now bullet proof Tata Safari at Rs 60 lakh
India’s leading automobiles manufacturer Tata Motors announced to release a new version of the Tata Safari SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle). The new Tata Safari can resist an assault of the hand grenades as well as an AK-47 rifle. Therefore many politicians, power brokers and industrialists, who are security conscious, prefer this vehicle. This is an armored vehicle which is cheapest in compared to the similar counterparts such as Maybach (Guard) and Audi (A8 Security) which come with cost more than 3 crore.The armored Tata Safari can be purchased from the manufacturer directly with the price tag of Rs 60 lakh. It is made with NIJ Level III / B6 protection that means this vehicle can run on flat tyres for a distance of 50 kms and at the speed of 50-60 km/hour. The ballistic grade Tata Safari can get top speed of 150 kilometers per hour and can also ascend a slope of 60 per cent. A dealer of Tata Motors said, “Since the cost of the vehicle is so high, very few dealers invest to buy it and stock it in their showrooms. Such vehicles are not promoted by the manufacturing company but can be had after placing an order to a nearest dealer” The fuel tank of this new Tata Safari is equipped with the explosive suppressant materials. If anytime, the car is attacked by a hand grenade then the grenade explosion will not damage the fuel tank. The bulletproof transparent areas of the vehicle such as window-glass can withstand a range of heavy loaded small arms like a Kalashnikov. Tata Motors has been supplying an armored vehicle for the armed forces and some other vehicles are already being used by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and few elite security agencies. The Tata Safari is especially designed for the VIPs.

    

Kalashnikov takes on vodka market 

Two of Russia's most famous exports have been combined in the launch of Kalashnikov vodka - but one shot of it should not prove lethal. Mikhail Kalashnikov, 84, inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle, proudly presented the new liquor in London. The general, who designed the rifle after being wounded in World War II, said he wanted to continue the "good name" of his gun. It has long been the weapon of choice for guerrilla armies around the world.The new vodka, distilled in St Petersburg, retails for about $24 a bottle. It is already available at several clubs in London. The general agreed to give his name to it after being approached by a British entrepreneur, John Florey. Mr Kalashnikov argued that he created the gun for "purely patriotic reasons". "I created it to protect the borders of my country," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying on Monday. The gun is made in the Urals city of Izhevsk. 


   

The Kalashnikov as a marketing instrument 

Buy a truck, get a free AK-47: used car dealership launches unusual promotion 

Nations Trucks, in Sanford, promises to pay for a Soviet-style assault rifle for anyone who buys one of its used trucks. The dealership has more than doubled sales since the offer was announced last week, according to Nick Ginetta, the general sales manager. A poster in Nations' office window proclaims "FREE AK-47" above a large illustration of the gun, which is by far the biggest-selling assault rifle of all time. 

Mr Ginetta said rather than hand out guns itself, the firm gave truck-buyers a $400 (£250) voucher which could be redeemed for a rifle at a local firearms shop. "I don't think it sends the wrong message," said Mr Ginetta, who insisted the dealership was merely allowing customers to assert their rights under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. "You don't need to buy a truck to go and buy an AK-47," he told local television. "You have the right to do that as long as you meet all state and federal laws. So it's just a subjected to background checks before being able to obtain a firearm. On Monday morning he told The Daily Telegraph that business was so brisk that he was unable to field more media enquiries about the promotion. "There is a long line of people just waiting to buy trucks," Mr Ginetta said. Earlier he suggested it was the perfect offer for his customer base. "My buyer is absolutely a gun owner, no question," he said. One customer said he was not deterred by the dealership's promotion despite knowing from experience what an AK-47 could do."I've had them shot at me," Don Zeis, a Vietnam War veteran, told local television. "I need a truck... that's why I'm here.".   

    

Cultural aspects of the AK 

Afghanistan is faced with war for more than 30 years. The introduction of many Russian weapons in Afghanistan was when Soviet troops entered the country during the late 1970s. Though Russia withdrew its troops from Afghanistan the Kalashnikov assault rifle stayed. Several conflicting groups kept on fighting. The Kalashnikov became part of the Afghan culture. On traditionally hand-made Afghan carpets the Kalashnikov assault rifle is depicted. There is perhaps no better evidence than this cultural expression which stresses that war thematics moved to all spheres of life. Even with AKs depicted on carpets it is possible to draw some conclusions. The AK weaven in the upper carpet probably refers to an AK74 - it has an redbrown magazine - while the lower one is most likely referring to an AKM.  

    

The AK as a symbol of freedom 

Due to the success of the Kalashnikov assault rifle the weapon also plays an undeniable role in a cultural perspective. Perhaps one of the most intriguing facts is what happened on the first of May 1983. On that particular day the flag of Mozambique was adopted. On this flag the image of an AK47 is depicted. Mozambique is the only country in the world having a national flag with an AK47 depicted on it. The national flag of Mozambique was based on the flag of the leading political party the Mozambican Liberation Front in short FRELIMO. The colors green, black, yellow and white were also used for the FRELIMO flag. After the country became independent form Portugal the FRELIMO was used. This flag looks much like the current national flag of Mozambique it did not had the emblem. The color fields of the flag were already rearranged in June 1975 this was shortly after the pre-independence. The same colors were used but the stripes turned into diagonals radiating from the upper hoist. Also the emblem was introduced which comprises a white cogwheel, a hoe, a rifle (the AK47), a red star and an open book. The hoe symbolizes the country's agriculture and the star represents Marxism and internationalism. 

  

   

The colors refer to the flag of the African National Congress that was used in South Africa. The green color refers to the riches of the land, while the fimbriations mean peace, the black color represents the African continent, yellow is for the country's minerals and red is the color that indicates the struggle for independence. Then in 1983 the flag was altered again. The colors were rearranged into the horizontal stripes. The star of Marxism was more prominent. In the emblem one can see an open book which stands for the necessity and importance of education. The AK47 represents freedom, defense and vigilance. The weapon played such an important role that it was included in the emblem. Later on the symbol was further simplified the cogwheel disappeared in the emblem but the AK47 remained.  

    

   

Jon Knud Bøgh Fjeldså (Norway, 1942)  

Jon Knud Bøgh Fjeldså is a Danish ornithologist. He is professor of biodiversity at the University of Copenhagen and head of the bird collections of the Natural History Museum of Denmark (ZMUC). Jon Fjeldså experienced a remarkable time period before he went studying. In 1961-1962 he was a spy, his task was to get detailed technical information about the Kalashnikov assault rifle. He did this work at the Norwegian-Soviet border.  

    

Dr. Edward C. Ezell (1939 - 1993) 

Living in United States Edward Ezell was the first who contacted Mikhail Kalashnikov already in 1972. Then back in these days in the midst of the Cold War it was a real surprise for a weapons designer in Russia to get a letter from someone abroad let alone a letter that came from someone living in the United States. It led to a sequence of interesting events. Mikhail and Edward became personal friends. Dr. Ezell met Kalashnikov in 1989. Kalashnikov was even invited to pay a visit to the United States it happened in the spring of 1990.  


The Kalashnikov brolly?

The Russian inventor of the world's most famous assault rifle has turned his attention to more harmless activities, such as keeping out the rain. Mikhail Kalashnikov, 83, has reportedly secured a 30% share of the German MMI company - which specialises in umbrellas - in exchange for use of his name. Kalashnikov wishes he invented the lawn-mower. Mr Kalashnikov, who lives in a modest one-bedroom flat in the Urals city of Izhevsk, said the Solingen-based company's products were somewhat similar to his AK-47 rifle. "They're reliable, easy to use and low-maintenance," he told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Moves are also afoot to produce Kalashnikov mineral water and vodka-based cocktails, MMI head Thomas Herriger told the newspaper. Mr Kalashnikov invented the AK-47 after being shot by German soldiers during World War II. It is the weapon of choice for gangsters and guerrillas all over the world. A staggering 100 million AKs have been produced so far. Easy to use and maintain, they are said to be responsible for more deaths than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Mr Kalashnikov recently said he wished he had invented the lawn-mower instead. He claims he has made no money from his rifle and is said to live on a meagre pension. 

Source: BBC World Edition