India, Russia finalise deal to manufacture AK-47 203 rifles: Report

The Indian Army has a requirement for around 770,000 AK-47 203 rifles, of which 100,000 will be imported and the rest will be manufactured in India

India and Russia have finalised a major deal for manufacturing AK-47 203 rifles in India during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s ongoing visit to Moscow, the official Russian media reported on Thursday. The AK-47 203 is the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle, which will replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56×45 mm assault rifle.

The Indian Army has a requirement for around 770,000 AK-47 203 rifles, of which 100,000 will be imported and the rest will be manufactured in India, Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency said. The rifles will be manufactured in India as part of the joint venture Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), established between the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), the Kalashnikov Concern and Rosoboronexport — the Russian state agency for military exports, it said.

The OFB would own a majority stake of 50.5 per cent in IRRPL while the Kalashnikov Group would have a 42 per cent share. Russia’s state-owned export agency, Rosoboronexport, would own the remaining 7.5 per cent, the report said. The 7.6239 mm Russian weapon will be produced at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Uttar Pradesh, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, the report said…

PM Modi inaugurates India-Russia JV to build Kalashnikov rifles in Amethi

The AK-203 will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles and AK-47 rifles that Indian Army soldiers currently carry

Current Affairs: Taking a step towards equipping army soldiers with modern rifles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an Indo-Russian joint venture (JV) on Sunday that will manufacture the new Kalashnikov AK-203 rifle in Korwa, near Amethi.

In the third week of February, New Delhi and Moscow signed an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) to build the AK-203 in India. A contract is still to be signed, but the first of an estimated 750,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles are expected to roll off the production line in 2019.

“During my official visit to India last October… Mr Modi and I reached the agreement on setting up Kalashnikov production in this country. The IGA was prepared and signed in the shortest time”, said Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in a message that was read out during the signing ceremony.

The JV incorporates the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which has a 50.5 per cent stake; Kalashnikov, with a 42 per cent stake, and Russia’s state-owned export agency, Rosobornoexport, owning the remaining 7.5 per cent. The AK-203, along with the US-origin Sig Sauer assault rifle, will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles and AK-47 rifles that Indian Army soldiers currently carry.

Also Read: ‘Made in Amethi’ AK-203 rifles to help troops fight terror, says PM Modi