Ammunition and pistol maker Sig Sauer has notified about a second procurement contract with India's Ministry of Defence to supply an additional 73,000 SIG716 rifles. When completed, 145,400 such rifles will be in service with the Indian Army, a statement from Sig Sauer said.
"We are proud to be a partner in the modernisation effort of the Indian Army, and prouder still that the SIG716 rifle achieves the Ministry of Defence's modernisation goals with the second largest army in the world," said Ron Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sig Sauer.
The Ministry of Defence first awarded Sig Sauer a contract for the SIG716 in 2019 for 72,400 rifles. The successful fielding and overwhelming acceptance by soldiers led to this follow-on award for additional rifles, the company said in the statement. The first lot of such rifles was imported under a contract of Rs 647 crore. The recent order follows the visit of the Defence Minister to the United States of America.
"Since the initial fielding of the SIG716, we have received phenomenal end-user feedback on the performance and reliability of the platform. Throughout this time, we have strengthened and further solidified our partnership with the Indian Ministry of Defence and are honoured to earn their continued trust equipping their frontline infantrymen.
"The SIG716 is an enhanced AR platform chambered in 7.62 Nato featuring a 16-inch barrel, M-LOIC handguard, and a 6-position telescoping stock. Sig Sauer designs and builds the SIG716 rifles for the Indian Army and for all of its customers in the United States.
Under the leadership of the Defence Minister, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave its approval to produce 73,000 SIG-716 rifles in December 2023. In addition, the purchase of 40,949 light machine guns was sanctioned by the council.
(ANI)
_20240927150553_original_image_29.webp)
_20240926142505_original_image_15.webp)
_20240919154217_original_image_10.webp)
_20240919130928_original_image_27.webp)
_20240916015227_original_image_33.webp)