End of the Kalashnikov? Will Russia Buy American or French Rifles?

Some purists in the Russian military are aghast at comments by the Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov that Russian small arms are outdated, including the Kalashnikov and the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle. As Pravda reports:

“Mr. Serdyukov stated that the Russian small arms had become outdated, and added that Russia could purchase small arms from abroad after it was decided to acquire Mistral helicopter carriers from France. What do Russian professions think on the subject? ‘Foreigners admit that Russian small arms are one of the best in the world. Just show me a foreign rifle which would compete with a Russian one on all specifications, including the integrity level. How would a soldier feel in combat action if his rifle, which is widely, albeit unreasonably advertised as more accurate, would unexpectedly malfunction? The main problem here is that Russia does not have anyone to work in the gun-making industry because of low salaries. Purchasing small arms from abroad can entirely destroy the industry in Russia,” gun designer Dmitry Shirayev told Pravda.Ru.

So will they buy America? Or, possibly, French rifles? They did recently sign a ship deal with the French…