India-Russia Formally Signed Much Awaited AK 203 Assault Rifle Deal
As Expected today Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister General Sergey Shoigu formally signed the much-awaited AK 203 Assault Rifle Deal. “Agreements signed between India and Russia include the contract for procurement of 6,01,427 7.63x39mm assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd and extension of the programme for military-technical cooperation from 2021-2031,” government officials said.
The domestic manufacturing of the rifles is crucial to meet the shortfall of small arms and will replace the old INSAS rifles. Both countries have agreed to the terms of the deal in terms of numbers, price, and manufacturing process. The deal entails the production of 6,014,427 AK-203 for India’s armed forces over a 10-year period.
Also Read, AK 203 vs AK 47: Why Is AK 203 Nearly 5 Times More Expensive Than AK 47 Rifle?
Defence cooperation is one of the most important pillars of our partnership. India Russia inter-governmental commission on military and military-technical cooperation is a well-established mechanism since last two decades, said Defence Minister Shree Rajnath Singh.
We appreciate Russia strong support for India. Our Close cooperation is not targeted against another country. We hope that our cooperation will bring peace and prosperity to the entire region and provide stability to the region, he said.
Indian Delegation Russian Delegation
A number of Agreements/Contracts/Protocols were also signed at the Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh’s delegation-level meeting with the Russian Federation Defence Minister, General Sergey Shoigu in 20th IRIGC M&MTC in New Delhi today.
