Kalashnikov Concern has stated that the RPL-20 is a new design, rather than being a derivative of the ubiquitous Kalashnikov-pattern rifle series. It is a belt-fed, open bolt, fully automatic light machine gun with a rotating bolt and a long-stroke gas piston.^[1]

The RPL-20 uses a non-disintegrating linked belt similar to the RPD. Alternative designs experimented with a dual feed option (i.e., capable of both magazine- and belt-feed), considered to be an improvement over the RPK-74. The choice to keep it belt-fed only was made to lighten the weapon and make it less complex than a dual-feed model, allowing the troops in the field to top off spent belts as a trade off for not accepting standard issue assault rifle magazines.

Aside from this, little is known about the RPL-20. The weapon is still in development, which Kalashnikov Concern predicts will take another 2–3 years.^[2] Despite the weapon's developmental nature, Kalashnikov Concern has provided video of the weapon being handled and fired, demonstrating that they have at least completed a fully-functioning prototype.^[3]

Russian (at the time Soviet) military forces have not fielded a squad-level, intermediate caliber, belt-fed machine gun since the retirement of the RPD in the early 1960s.^[4] Official Soviet doctrine from the 1960s onward dictated that squad-level suppressive fire would be provided by the RPK, while PK machine guns would be issued at the company level to provide heavier fire. While the RPK was a simpler, lighter, easier to use weapon than the RPD it replaced, it did not always perform as well as had been hoped. The weapon's magazine feed system, light weight, and fixed barrel made it excellent for one-man operation, but also hampered its ability to provide continuous suppressive fire. As such, some squad machine gunners were equipped with PK machine guns as needed.^[5]

As the Soviet military moved from the 7.62×39 mm round to the 5.45×39 mm cartridge for its rifles and light machine guns, it considered adopting a dual-feed light machine gun in the new caliber to replace the RPK, similar to the FN Minimi then being introduced in Western armies. This resulted in the development of the PU-21 light machine gun. The weapon was trialed, but rejected as being more complex and heavier than the new RPK-74, while still not providing squads with the boost in firepower a PK machine gun could provide.^[6] Meanwhile, a modernized development of the PK, the PKM, had been introduced. The PKM was lighter than its predecessor, at 7.5 kg, making it even easier to issue the weapon to squad machine gunners as necessary.^[7] In the US, there was a significant gap between the weight and firepower of the 2.89 kg M16 and either the 10.5 kg M60 or 12.5 kg M240. This sizable gap is what drove adoption of the intermediate caliber, 7.1 kg M249. With a 7.5 kg PKM general-purpose machine gun that weighed little more than the 4.8 kg RPK, the Soviets had little desire for the PU-21 or similar weapons.^[8][9]

Since the rejection of the PU-21, the Russian military has not indicated any desire for a belt-fed, intermediate caliber machine gun. The MVD solicited designs for a similar weapon beginning in 2011, for use by counter-terror teams, though it did not follow through with any actual orders.^[10] There have, however, been competitions to replace the RPK-74, leading to the selection of the RPK-16 for field trials.^[11] Based on feedback from these field trials, Kalashnikov Concern independently began development of the RPL-20. With an empty weight of 5.2-5.5 kg, the RPL-20 rivals the weight of an RPK-74 while providing belt-fed, open-bolt operation and quick-change barrels to enhance sustained fire.^[12]

As of January 2024, Kalashnikov Concern completed preliminary tests of the RPL-20 machine gun, and Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation plans to conduct State trials of the machine gun in 2024.^[13]

• PKP Pecheneg machine gun
• IP-2
• IWI Negev
• QJY-88
• QJS-161
• QJY-201
• FN EVOLYS