#Poplin

Light machine guns and automatic rifles emerged shortly before the First World War to enhance the firepower of infantry units. By the end of World War II, these weapons were typically employed within a fire team or squad. In modern military structures, infantry units are formed with tactics centered around using light machine guns for suppressive fire. In the early 1970s, the Soviet Union recognized the need to enhance the firepower of infantry squads as they had previously moved from the RPD to the RPK. While the RPK light machine gun was in service, it functioned more like an automatic rifle, with limited effectiveness in providing high volumes of fire. In response to this need, the development of the 5.45 mm light machine gun program, known as "Poplin," was initiated in 1973 by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR.