MOSCOW, November 11 (RIA Novosti) – The creator of the Kalashnikov assault rifle agreed to let his name be used as a brand for a new arms corporation, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Sunday.

The new group of companies will unite the Izhmekh and the Izhmash, two prominent state-owned enterprises in the republic of Udmurtia in Volga federal district.

Mikhail Kalashnikov, who turned 93 on Saturday, personally authorized the use of his name for the new group, Rogozin, who oversees military equipment matters at the government, said on his Twitter.

The Izhmash was manufacturing Kalashnikovs since the rifle first went into mass production in 1949, while the Izhmekh is best known for producing Makarov and Yarygin handguns.

Both factories also manufacture a wide range of other produce for military and civil purposes. But the plants are flagging due to lack of clients – Izhmash went bankrupt in April – and the government is now planning to revive them by merging them together under the new brand.