The Defense Procurement Council of India (DAC) on Monday cleared the covers for the purchase of military hardware worth Rs 2,290 crore, including assault rifles for US front-line troops and the anti-aircraft smart weapon, it said. a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
The Indian military is preparing the ground to buy an additional 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the United States, authorities said. These rifles will cost Rs 780 crore, the spokesperson said.
This proposed purchase follows an order for 72,400 assault rifles that was shipped to the US last year. India signed the previous order worth Rs 700 crore in early 2019 and deliveries of all rifles were completed.
The DAC, headed by defense minister Rajnath Singh, also authorized the purchase of the anti-airfield smart weapon at a cost of Rs 970 crore to add to the firepower of the navy and air force, the ministry said in a statement. .
“The DAC approved the acquisition of static HF transceiver equipment … The HF radio equipment will allow seamless communication for Army and Air Force field units and is being purchased at a cost of approximately Rs 540 million,” he added. .
Sig Sauer rifles are being purchased to meet the army’s requirement of a total of eight lakh assault rifles. The new assault rifles will gradually replace the faulty 5.56mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles installed some 22 years ago.
The remaining army requirements will be met through a Make in India project for the local production of AK-203 assault rifles in Amethi Korwa, and this acquisition is in its final stage.
.
