In a significant boost to the Defence capabilities, the Indian Army will get 70,000 additional Sig Sauer assault rifles which will be provided to troops deployed in counterterrorism operations and other duties. The approval for the procurement was granted at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry held recently and attended by the top brass of the military, news agency ANI reported citing the government sources.
The Indian Army has been given permission to 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, they added.
American-made assault rifles
These American-made assault guns, which are being used by personnel in the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh section of the China front, have already resulted in over 70,000 indictments by India. The force originally decided to purchase these rifles because it desired a weapon with a greater range.
In February 2019, 72,400 SiG 716 rifles -- 66,400 for the Army, 4,000 for the Air Force and 2,000 for the Navy -- of 7.62 x 51mm calibre were bought from SIG Sauer of the US. The SiG 716 assault rifle was chosen by the force of several candidates because of its high calibre and extended range.
About Sig Sauer assault rifles
According to reports, it is more lethal than the INSAS Rifle or the AK-47 and its variants in the service. The Indian forces are also going to soon get the AK-203 being produced by the joint venture between two companies in the ordnance factory near Amethi. Indian forces have recently also acquired the Russian AK-103 in significant numbers to bolster their capabilities against terrorists and for conventional operations.
(With inputs from ANI)
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