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Defence & Security
Mahesh

20/08/22 11:35 AM IST

AK-203 ASSAULT RIFLES

In News 
  • The production of the AK-203 assault rifles by the Indo-Russian joint venture at Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, is set to begin by year-end and the manufacturing equipment required for it will be dispatched from Russia shortly.
AK-203 Rifles 
  • It is the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle.
  • It is expected to replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) assault rifle (presently being used by Army, Navy and the Air Force)
  • These rifles are a type of Kalashnikov rifle, which can work under extreme climatic conditions and are effective even in sand, soil and water.
  • It is not suitable for use at high altitudes. Several other issues with these rifles include gun jamming, oil leakage etc.
  • India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in February 2019 for the production of AK 203 assault rifles.
  • As per the contract, over 6.1 lakh AK-203 assault rifles costing over ₹5,000 crore will be manufactured by a Joint Venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL), at Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
  • IRRPL was set up jointly between erstwhile OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and concern Kalashnikov of Russia.
  • As per contractual terms, the first 70,000 AK-203 rifles will be produced in India with a phased increase in the extent of localisation from 5% to 70%. The remaining rifles (of 6 lakh planned) will be produced with 100% localisation.
Source- Live Mint 

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