AEK 971 Vintovka

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Battlefield: Bad Company
Battlefield: Bad Company 2

 

Real-World Background: The AEK was designed for the modern Russian military in hopes of passing the Abakan trials of the 1980's. The unique recoil system involves a counterbalance to the normal operation of the gas piston so that the the rearward forces of the recoil are matched by the forward motion of the counter piston. This makes automatic fire much more stable, but causes the manufacture of the gun to be quite complicated. According to information, the AEK-971 production was ceased in the year 2006. If this is the case it is unknown why the weapon is so common during the events of both Battlefield: Bad Company games. One of the key arguments for the AEK-971 in comparison to the AN-94 was that it was lighter (approximately 0.5kg lighter), and was the easier of the two to manufacture.

Game Information: The AEK-971 is a good all-round assault rifle, and provides a decent start to the Assault class progression path. The AEK provides medium damage and accuracy, with a higher than average rate of fire. The AEK-971 has extremely open iron sights, which work well with the weapon. In addition, it has a low recoil considering the pleasing rate of fire. Many players choose to overlook the AEK as soon as they unlock the XM8 Prototype and later weapons, though it is undoubtedly a good enough choice. Should you be able to keep the AEK-971 on target, it will work well. Like most assault rifles it does not excel at longer ranges, though in a pinch it can be used. Due to the higher rate of fire, the main appeal of the Assault class does come into play: the Ammo Box. You will likely need to resupply frequently when using the gun, due to the fact that you can expend a large quantity of ammunition without realising it.

In Campaign, the AEK-971 is first witnessed during the second mission, 'Cold War'. It is carried infrequently by the Russian forces, and is seen more in use by the Chilean militia. The Russians use the AN-94 Akaban more frequently than the AEK, though that is not to say it is not still carried by Russians. During the original Bad Company, the AEK-971 is without a doubt one of the most common games of all. It is carried by the Russian soldiers almost all of the time, and packs a 50 round magazine, which is highly unrealistic. In Bad Company 2, the gun is loaded with a 30 round magazine, which is more correct.

As the AEK-971 has a decent rate of fire, it works well enough in close range spraying scenarios. For this reason, the standard Grenade Launcher or Smoke Grenade Launcher are a better choice than the 40mm Shotgun. Occasionally the 40mm could be beneficial, but due to the pros of the AEK-971, it is not necessary 100% of the time in close range.

Optics: The iron sights for the AEK-971 are good, if not amazing. Players who use the gun frequently can adapt to the sights though, negating a need for optics. The AEK-971 can work with both the Red Dot Sight and the ACOG Scope, and both of them work acceptably well. The AEK-971 does not make a longer-range assault rifle, meaning that the ACOG Scope is of limited use. Generally, the Red Dot Sight is more suited to the gun and how it performs. The AN-94 Akaban, ironically a rifle that was intended to compete with the AEK-971, performs more effectively as a longer-ranged weapon.

Prime Environment: Semi-Urban (Example: Base 1 on Port Valdez)

Trivia

• The AN-94 Akaban uses the same grenade launcher as the AEK-971 (the GP-20).
• During the mission 'Air Force One' in the original Bad Company, a gold AEK-971 can be seen inside the Presidential Palace, while the cutscene where the president is encountered.
• The AEK-971 has been the default weapon of the Assault class in both Bad Company games. In the first game it was the default Assault Rifle of the Russian Army.

Game Images

Real-World Images

Please note that the above images are not necessarily the property of Bad Company 24/7, or of Digital Warfare 24/7.