Indian Army orders 73,000 more SIG716 rifles from US, total inventory touches 1.45 lakh

The Army has, meanwhile, dismissed reports of issues with the SIG716 rifles, asserting their superior range, lethality, and recoil compared to the older INSAS and AK-47 rifles.

The Indian Army has announced a follow-on order for 73,000 additional SIG716 rifles from the US firm SiG Sauer, bringing the total number of these rifles to 1,45,400. This order follows Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to the US and continues from a 2019 contract for 72,400 rifles acquired under a fast-track procurement route.

The Ministry of Defence initially awarded the contract due to delays in the local production of Russian AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles. The first lot of 72,400 SIG716 rifles was imported under a Rs 647 crore contract.

The Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC), under Singh, approved the procurement of an additional 73,000 SIG-716 rifles last December. Furthermore, in August 2023, the DAC sanctioned the purchase of 40,949 light machine guns, totaling an estimated cost of Rs 2,165 crore.

The AK-203 project, which began in 2018, faced delays but has recently seen progress with the delivery of the first 35,000 rifles, assembled at the Korwa ordnance factory in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi. The project aims to produce six lakh AK-203 rifles over 10 years to meet the needs of the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.

The Army has, meanwhile, dismissed reports of issues with the SIG716 rifles, asserting their superior range, lethality, and recoil compared to the older INSAS and AK-47 rifles.