Father of AK- 47 rings in his 90th birthday.

THE CREATOR of the AK- 47 assault rifle -- known for its unsurpassed durability and reliability for the past 70 years -- celebrated his 90th birthday on Tuesday.

" At the age of 90, I feel extremely happy," said Mikhail Kalashnikov, who lives in Izhvesk in the Russian republic of Udmurtia, about 1,300 km east of Moscow.

Born in a Siberian village on November 10, 1919, Kalashnikov had a tragic childhood after his father was deported under the Stalin regime in 1930.

" Of course, like with any person, there are things to regret. But I can say I would not choose to lead my life any other way if I had the opportunity," Kalashnikov said in an interview with the government- controlled daily newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta . For him age is not significant.

" I have plenty of life left in me. But still, this is a special date and it needs to be celebrated," he said in his remarks broadcast on Russian television.

Kalashnikov, whose tie was decorated with a metal pin shaped like an AK- 47, smiled and read patriotic poetry to journalists in Izhevsk. He was expected to call on President Dmitry Medvedev later.

As a Soviet soldier, Kalashnikov was inspired to design the weapon after being wounded in 1941 during World War II. While his first attempts were unsuccessful, he was given a position in weapons development, and by 1947, he had perfected his masterpiece.

Since then, the AK- 47 has become the most widespread and famous assault rifle in history. Used by some 50 armies around the world, as well as countless urban guerrilla movements, it is also featured on the flag of Mozambique.

Despite estimated sales of 100 million, Kalashnikov claimed he hasn't earned any profit from the AK- 47 and receives only a state pension.

" Without doubt, Kalashnikov is the world patriarch of small arms weapons," said Igor Sevastyanov, deputy director of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

" His contribution to the advancement of Russian small arms on the foreign market is priceless. His name is as famous as that of Yury Gagarin, the world's first cosmonaut," he added.

Sevastyanov said Russia had signed a contract with an unnamed north African nation for 500,000 AK- 103 and AK- 102s, newly modified versions of the AK- 47 capable of firing three- round bursts.

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