After decades of voicing concerns that the induction of a modern assault rifle is an urgent operational necessity, the Indian military is just an inch away from getting a new standard issue rifle which will replace the incumbent INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle. The chosen weapon is the AK-203, which debuted in 2018, designed and developed by Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern.

 

As the acquisition contract has reportedly been finalised and is expected to be signed soon, it would be worthwhile to recount how the process began, the two-year long negotiations, and the lessons we can take away from this most recent bid to modernise India’s armed forces.

The search for a new standard
In 1998, the INSAS rifle, developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation’s (DRDA) Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and manufactured by the state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), was inducted as the Indian military’s standard-issue assault rifle.....MORE

   About Us        Terms and Privacy