New Delhi: In an obvious bid to add more confidence and armoury to the Indian armed forces, the defence ministry has signed a contract for acquiring 72,000 Sig Sauer rifles for the Indian Army under fast-track procedures.

That means, in the next 12 months, armed forces will have the latest US made SIG716-G2 assault rifles from Sig Sauer which will replace the INSAS rifles.

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These assault rifles are being used by the US forces as well as several European countries. The new rifles will be given to troops in the conflict zone near the bordering areas of China and Pakistan.

Ministry officials claim that the rifles would be delivered within 12 months. The Indian armed forces are presently equipped with 5.56 mm INSAS rifle.

The Sig Sauer 716-G2 will be India’s first major contract for an American infantry weapon. The Indian Army has selected the SIG716 G2 Patrol that uses 7.62 mm ammunition. They may be more effective than the indigenous INSAS rifles that use 5.56 mm ammunition.

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There was an urgent requirement of replacing the INSAS rifle with more effective 7.62 mm assault rifles. These new rifles are compact, robust, modern and simple to maintain in field conditions.

The Sig Sauer 716-G2 is the latest and greatest designated marksman rifle designed for SWAT teams, squad level military deployment and civilian hunters and marksmen.