The Indian Armed forces have started inducting its newly acquired Sig Sauer assault rifles in operations. India has bought 72,400 SiG716 assault rifles for its frontline infantry troops.
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India is also going for a joint venture with Russian Kalashnikov to acquire over 6.5 lakh AK-203 assault rifles for replacing the INSAS rifles. A majority of these rifles a total of 66,000 are for the Indian Army.
The rest of 6000 rifles will be divided between the Indian Navy (2,000) and the Indian Air Force (4,000). A shipment of 10,000 SiG 716 assault rifles have arrived in India and has been sent to the Northern Command.
March 2019, PM Modi had inaugurated the plant in Kauhar, Amethi (a joint venture between India's Ordinance factory Korwa and Russia's Kalashnikov). This will produce around 7.5 lakh of the most advanced rifles, the AK 203.
This assault rifle is a successor of the historic AK 47 which continues to be in service in many militaries across the world.
Why are we replacing INSAS rifles?
- The Army was reportedly looking for a rifle that would be "compact, robust, modern in technology and simple to maintain in field conditions".
- According to agency reports, an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, was rejected by Indian Army around 18 months ago. The guns reportedly failed the firing tests
- What becomes clear from agency reports is that the Army is looking to move to a rifle that fires a larger, more powerful rifle cartridge than the 5.56x45mm intermediate cartridge used by the INSAS.
- And, among other things, that is the major difference between the two assault rifles. The SIG716 uses the more powerful 7.62x51mm cartridge.
- Earlier Indian Army was going for 5.56mm round rifles to wound the enemy, not to kill. because in the combat situations a wounded enemy is the liability on his team who requires two to four additional soldiers to give him the first aid or to carry him to the base.
- Armed forces worldwide are adopting more powerful cartridges to deal with the increasing distance in military engagements and pierce armour worn by modern soldiers.
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