Russia has delivered 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles to India to meet the “urgent operational needs” of the Indian Armed Forces, the Global Times reported, citing the Russian news agency Sputnik on the 25th.
According to the report, the Indian Army and Russia signed an agreement last August in which the Russian side committed to supplying 70,000 ready-made AK-203 assault rifles to India in the next six months. The Indian Army needs a total of about 770,000 AK-203s, of which 100,000 are imported and the rest are manufactured in India. What is being supplied now is part of these 100,000 imported assault rifles.
“A number of ready-made AK-203 rifles have been delivered according to the schedule of the fast-track procurement agreement,” the source told Sputnik.
The AK-203 rifle will replace India’s indigenously developed 5.56x45mm INSAS assault rifle, which has been used by the Indian army since the mid-1990s. In 2010, the Indian government declared this model “operationally deficient” after several design flaws were discovered.
The new rifle uses high-tech accessories, such as customized sights or grips, which are useful for special forces missions. According to the Indian government, the AK-203 assault rifle will improve the operational efficiency of the Indian Army in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
The joint venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRPL), will produce the AK-203 rifle at its Gorwa plant in Uttar Pradesh, India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the plant in 2019 and signed a $690 million contract. The move is seen as a major boost to India’s defense industry as part of the Indian government’s “self-reliance” initiative.
The news sparked discontent on the Chinese Internet. Given the conflicts and constant border tensions between India and China, many Chinese believe that the advanced rifles India bought from Russia are clearly intended for use in a conflict with China, and thus commented that China should consider exporting QBZ-95 rifles, or even the latest QBZ-191 rifles, to Ukraine, while others said that what Ukraine needs more is drones. And some other netizens believe that China cannot yet turn the tables on Russia as it still relies on the latter to provide engines for its warplanes, including for the J-20.