The LCT PKP is a light machine gun and is essentially a derivative of the general-purpose machine gun design lineage that began with the Soviet PK machine gun. 
 
LCT PKP
 
The LCT PKP is an evolution of the earlier Soviet-designed PK, general-purpose machine gun. The PK was introduced in the 1960s to provide Soviet ground forces with a robust and reliable machine gun platform. Over the decades, the design was refined and adapted to various roles and operational requirements.
 
The PKP (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny, or "Kalashnikov's infantry machine gun") is one of these refinements, offering improvements over the original PK design. The PKP features a heavier barrel for sustained fire, which can be quickly changed when overheated. This attribute makes the PKP more suitable for the role of a squad automatic weapon, allowing infantry units to maintain suppressive fire for longer periods without the need to replace the entire gun due to barrel overheating.