Defence Ministry Clears Purchase of Additional 72,000 Assault Rifles from US

The defence ministry on Monday approved the procurement of 72,000 assault rifles, worth Rs 780 crore, for The Indian Army from the United States. This is the second batch of Sig Sauer rifles that has been cleared for procurement by the defence ministry.

Earlier, the army had procured 72,400 Sig Sauer rifles under the fast-track procurement deal to meet the shortage of assault rifles.

The clearance for the procurement of the second batch of rifles comes amid the ongoing military tussle with China.

The clearance for rifle procurement was part of the approval given by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council for capital acquisitions of the various equipment required by the Indian armed forces at an approximate cost of Rs 2,290 crore. The council had met on Monday to discuss and clear the proposals.

These include procurement from the domestic industry as well as foreign vendors.

“To equip the frontline troops of the army, the council has accorded approval for procurement of 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles at a cost of around Rs 780 crore,” the defence ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The army’s requirement of assault rifles was expected to be met by the production of 6.71 lakh AK 203 rifles to be manufactured in Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as part of a joint venture with Russia but the Make in India project has been facing delays.

The new rifles will replace the existing Indian small arms system (Insas) 5.56×45 mm rifles used by the forces and manufactured locally by the Ordnance Factories Board.

The defence ministry also cleared procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets and smart anti airfield weapon. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of Army and Air Force and are being procured at cost of Rs 540 crore.

The Smart Anti Airfield Weapon being procured at cost of Rs 970 crore will add to the firepower of navy and air force.

Source: India Today