Setting the stage for Vladimir Putin-Narendra Modi summit here next week, the Indian Government has cleared the much-awaited AK-203 rifle deal. A factory in Korwa in Amethi will manufacture more than six lakh rifles of the latest variant of the AK-47 in a joint venture between Indiaand Russia.
In the first phase, the armed forces will get the AK-203 rifles, and in the second phase the Central paramilitary forces and State police will acquire them as reported in The Pioneer on November 24.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by the Prime Minister, cleared the AK-203 deal earlier this week, sources said here on Saturday. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had approved the contract on November 24. The deal may be inked during the summit.
The CCS nod came days before Putin will hold talks with Modi here on Monday. The high-profile summit will be preceded by the first ever two-plus-two dialogue between the respective defence and foreign minister of India and Russia the same day. India
has such a two-plus-two
format with the US, Japan
and Australia.
As regards the AK-203 deal, Government sources said here on Saturday it will provide a big boost to self-reliance in defence manufacturing
in India.
It reflects the increasing paradigm shift in defence acquisition from buy (global) to Make in India. This endeavour will be done in partnership with Russia and reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries in the defence sector.
The project will provide business opportunities to various MSMEs and other defence industries for supply of raw material and components, which will lead to generation of new employment opportunities. The project marks a significant stride towards making UP a key contributor in the ascendent defence manufacturing prowess of India.
The 7.62 X 39mm caliber AK-203 Rifles will replace in-service INSAS Rifle inducted over three decades back.
AK-203 Assault Rifles, with an effective range of 300 meters, are light weight, robust and easy to use Modern Assault Rifles with proven technology that will enhance the combat potential of soldiers to adequately meet present and envisaged operational challenges.
They will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism operations.
The project will be implemented by a special purpose Joint Venture called Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL). It has been created with erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and concern Kalashnikov of Russia.
The rifles will be manufactured over a ten-year period time. Meanwhile, India will procure 70,000 AK-203s off the shelf from Russia to maintain operational preparedness, sources said.
The deal was first announced in 2018 and the Prime Minister had even inaugurated the production facility at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi in March 2019.
On Putin-Modi summit, officials said the two leaders will review the state of bilateral ties and discuss ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier this week the 21st India-Russia summit in New Delhi will offer an opportunity to the two leaders to exchange views on regional, multilateral and international issues of mutual interests.
It is expected that the two leaders will deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan as well as to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic among other issues.
Giving details of the engagements between the two sides on December 6, Bagchi said Singh will hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu India-Russia under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical
Cooperation. Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Following the two meetings, the foreign and Defence Ministers of the two countries will hold the inaugural ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue that is expected to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues.
“In the afternoon, the 21st India-Russia annual summit will be held and we look forward to welcoming President Putin for the summit,” Bagchi had said.
