AK-203 rifles to be made in India as deal with Russia inked

New Delhi, Dec 06: India and Russia have inked a deal for the procurement of AK-203 assault rifles. Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu signed a contract for the procurement of over 5 lakh AK-203 assault rifles through the Indo-Russia Rifles Put Ltd and the agreement on military-technical cooperation from 2021-2031.

This agreement comes on the backdrop of the government of India approving the plan for the production of over five lakh AK-203 assault rifles at Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. This would be a big boost to self-reliance in defence.

This endeavour reflects the increasing paradigm shift in defence acquisition from buy globally to Make in India. This endeavour will be done in partnership with Russia and reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries in the defence sector, sources tell OneIndia.

The project will provide business opportunities to various MSMEs and other defence industries for supply of raw material and components, which will lead to generation of new employment opportunities.

The project marks a significant stride towards making UP a key contributor in the ascendent defence manufacturing prowess of India.

The 7.62 X 39mm caliber AK-203 Rifles will replace in-service INSAS Rifle inducted over three decades back. AK-203 Assault Rifles, with an effective range of 300 meters, are light weight, robust and easy to use Modern Assault Rifles with proven technology that will enhance the combat potential of soldiers to adequately meet present and envisaged operational challenges. They will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army in Counter Insurgency/Counter Terrorism operations.

The project will be implemented by a special purpose Joint Venture called Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL). It has been created with erstwhile OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and concern.