New Delhi: In a major accomplishment for India's defence requirements, US-based ammunition and pistol manufacturer SIG SAUER has announced a second procurement with the Ministry of Defence to supply an additional 73,000 SIG 716 rifles. With this, the Indian Army will have 145,000 such rifles in service, according to the company.
Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER, said, "We are proud to be a partner in the modernization effort of the Indian Army, and prouder still that the SIG 716 rifle achieves the Ministry of Defence's modernisation goals with the second largest army in the world." The Ministry of Defence first awarded SIG SAUER a contract for the SIG 716 in 2019 for 72,400 rifles.
The company said the successful "fielding and overwhelming" acceptance by soldiers led to this follow-on award for additional rifles. "Throughout this time, we have strengthened and further solidified our partnership with the Indian Ministry of Defence and are honoured to earn their continued trust in equipping their frontline infantrymen," it added.
What is the SIG 716 rifle?
The SIG 716 is an American-made automatic assault rifle with an enhanced AR platform chambered in 7.62 NATO featuring a 16-inch barrel, M-LOIC handguard, and a 6-position telescoping stock. SIG SAUER designs and manufactures these rifles specifically for the Indian Army and its various customers in the United States.
These rifles use 7.62x51 mm cartridges, which are more powerful than the INSAS rifles which use 5.56x45 mm cartridges. The SIG716 rifle is manufactured in the US and Switzerland, equipped with a long-range and superb accuracy. The rifle has a total length of 34.39 inches and a barrel length of 15.98 inches. Its total weight is 3.58 kg.
Last year, the Defence Ministry green-lit the purchase over 70,000 of these assault rifles for more than Rs 800 crore. This approval coincides with the forces being stationed in a military standoff with China and conducting counterterrorism operations against terrorist activities sponsored by Pakistan along the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir, said government sources.
The SIG 716 assault rifle was chosen by the force of several candidates because of its high calibre and extended range. Indian forces have recently also acquired the Russian AK-103 in significant numbers to bolster their capabilities against terrorists and for conventional operations.
(with ANI inputs)
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