Russian news outlet Izvestia reported earlier this week that the first shipments of the new “ASM” assault rifle are about to be dispatched to branches of Russian special operations units– commonly known under the umbrella term “Spetsnaz”– starting with the 24th special purpose brigade in Novosibirsk, Eurasia Diary reports citing Bulgarian Military News.

The ASM rifle will succeed the AS Val, a popular but aging silenced assault rifle that has seen widespread use among Russian intelligence and special forces outfits since its introduction in 1987.

The AS Val was built around two design principles: near-silent operation and armor-piercing capability. This peculiar blend of power and stealth was made possible through the AS Val’s use of the heavy, subsonic 9x39mm round; its reduced velocity makes it so that it can be fired without breaking the sonic barrier, thus drastically reducing potential gunshot noise when combined with the right integral suppressor.

There is no perfect western equivalent to this Soviet round, but arguably its closest counterpart in drop, energy, and velocity is the .300 Blackout intermediate cartridge.