FF - AEKs family

Original mods:

- https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/65EB1B769D018CFD-AEK971Fix
- https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/5F291AC0C6088F0C-AEK971

Freedom Fighters mod :

- https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/CAFEBEEFF0CACC1A-FreedomFighters made by johnnykerner

The weapons will be available for the resistance in the shop/FOB, and equip randomly some of the recruits.


##AEK-971

The AEK-971 is a selective-fire assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union during the late 1970s at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant. Designed by Stanislav Koksharov, it was a contender in the "Project Abakan" trials which aimed to find a successor to the AK-74. Although it ultimately lost the contract to the AN-94, the AEK-971 was produced in small batches for various Russian law enforcement and military units. The rifle is chambered for the 5.45x39mm cartridge and uses standard AK-74 magazines.

What sets the AEK-971 apart from traditional Kalashnikov designs is its innovative Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS). This gas-operated mechanism uses a counter-weight that moves in opposition to the bolt carrier group to neutralize the impulse of recoil. The result is a significant reduction in muzzle climb and felt recoil, which makes the weapon far more controllable during full-automatic fire, reportedly increasing accuracy by 15-20% over the AK-74. 

The rifle features a side-folding stock, polymer furniture, and a fire selector that allows for single shots, three-round bursts, and fully automatic fire.


##AEK-973

The AEK-973 is a direct variant of the AEK-971, developed as part of the same family of weapons to offer a multi-caliber platform. The primary and most significant difference is its chambering; the AEK-973 is designed to fire the older, but harder-hitting 7.62x39mm cartridge, the same round used by the AK-47 and AKM rifles. Consequently, it uses the iconic curved magazines associated with those weapons.

Like its 5.45mm counterpart, the AEK-973 is built around the Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS) to mitigate recoil and improve control during automatic fire. This feature is particularly beneficial for the more powerful 7.62x39mm round, taming its recoil to a much more manageable level. The rifle shares the same fundamental design, including the gas-operated, rotating bolt action, polymer furniture, and folding stock. 

An improved subvariant, the AEK-973S, was also developed. While not as widely adopted as the main Kalashnikov line, the AEK series represents an advanced and effective branch of Russian small arms design.