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Yugoslavia Zastava Arms
M70
A Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle produced by Zastava Arms with a distinctive thicker receiver and integral grenade-launching sight, serving as the standard infantry rifle of Yugoslav and later Serbian forces. It remains the backbone small arm of the Serbian Armed Forces and is exported across the Balkans and Africa.
In service since 1970 · 20 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
400
m range
600
rpm
720
m/s
30
rds
💲 ≈ $900 — Approximate export unit price estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Yugoslavia export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 20 operators
In service since 1970. Status: active · ~1,000,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Effective range
Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.
- 400 m Stronger than 26% of rifles
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 600 rpm Stronger than 12% of rifles
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 720 m/s Stronger than 18% of rifles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 7.62×39 mm
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 7.6 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 30 Stronger than 58% of rifles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 1 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 4 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
- Barrel length
Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.
- 415 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $900 Stronger than 88% of rifles
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1,000,000 Stronger than 70% of rifles
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 20 Stronger than 67% of rifles
Specifications compiled from public Zastava Arms and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Tula Arms Plant AEK-971 Frequently asked questions
How many crew does the Zastava Arms M70 require? +
The Zastava Arms M70 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Zastava Arms M70? +
The Zastava Arms M70's primary weapon is the 7.62×39 mm.
What is the Zastava Arms M70 used for? +
The Zastava Arms M70 is a rifle & long arms typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the Zastava Arms M70? +
The Zastava Arms M70 is operated by 20 countries.
How much does the Zastava Arms M70 cost? +
The Zastava Arms M70 has an approximate unit cost of 900 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
