Indian Army orders 73,000 more guns from US firearms maker Sig Sauer: Here’s all about SIG716 rifles

The Ministry of Defence has placed a repeat order for 73,000 SIG716 rifles. With the latest order, more than 1.45 lakh Sig Sauer SIG716 rifles will be in service in the Indian Army, according to the US gun manufacturer.

Anubhav Mukherjee
Published27 Aug 2024, 09:41 PM IST
Indian Army will have more than 1.45 lakh Sig Sauer rifles in service after the completion of the deal.
Indian Army will have more than 1.45 lakh Sig Sauer rifles in service after the completion of the deal.(PTI)

American weapons manufacturer Sig Sauer on Tuesday, August 27, announced that India's Ministry of Defence has placed an order for 73,000 SIG716 rifles.

“SIG SAUER, Inc., is honoured to announce a second procurement contract with the Government of India, Ministry of Defence to supply an additional 73,000 SIG716 rifles,” the US firm said in a statement.

Also Read | Aditya Birla Sun Life launches Nifty India Defence Index Fund. Details inside

This is India's second procurement order to Sig Sauer in five years. According to the company, the Indian government ordered 72,400 rifles from the arms maker in 2019. After the completion of the new deal, more than 1.45 lakh Sig Sauer SIG716 rifles will be in service in the Indian Army. 

Of the 72,400 rifles procured, 66,400 were for the Army, 4,000 for the Air Force, and 2,000 for the Navy. Indian Army initially planned to issue these rifles only to frontline troops but decided later to equip all of its more than 400 infantry battalions with them.

“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,” Ron Cohen, president and chief executive officer of Sig Sauer, said in the statement.

Also Read | Deepak Shenoy of Capitalmind on Nifty’s valuation, sectors he is positive about

The company reported extraordinary user responses to its SIG716 rifle in terms of reliability and performance. The New Hampshire-based weapons maker is strengthening its partnership with India's defence ministry to pursue future deals.

“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 in equipping their frontline infantrymen,” Sig Sauer stated.

Also Read | Massachusetts governor signs bill cracking down on hard-to-trace ’ghost guns’

About the SIG716 rifle:

The SIG716 rifle is an improved version of a rifle in the ArmaLite Rifle (AR) platform chambered 7.62 NATO. It features a 16-inch barrel, an M-LOK handguard, and a 6-position telescoping stock. According to the company statement, it designs and builds rifles for the Indian Army and various other clients in the United States.

The SIG 716 has a higher recoil and higher calibre, meant to shoot-to-kill targets at 600 metres. The Sig Sauer assault rifle reportedly has a higher range, more lethality, and higher recoil than the INSAS and the AK-47, which fires a smaller round.

 

 

Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

MoreLess
First Published:27 Aug 2024, 09:41 PM IST
Business NewsNewsIndiaIndian Army orders 73,000 more guns from US firearms maker Sig Sauer: Here’s all about SIG716 rifles

Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!

  • Employment Type

    Most Active Stocks

    Bharat Electronics share price

    283.95
    03:58 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    -1.1 (-0.39%)

    Tata Steel share price

    167.00
    03:56 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    -1.45 (-0.86%)

    Tata Power share price

    481.00
    03:58 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    -1.7 (-0.35%)

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises share price

    140.05
    03:55 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    2.4 (1.74%)
    More Active Stocks

    Market Snapshot

    • Top Gainers
    • Top Losers
    • 52 Week High

    Caplin Point Laboratories share price

    2,080.30
    03:52 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    182.75 (9.63%)

    PB Fintech share price

    1,729.65
    03:57 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    113.65 (7.03%)

    Welspun Living share price

    175.00
    03:50 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    11.25 (6.87%)

    National Aluminium Company share price

    224.15
    03:56 PM | 1 OCT 2024
    13.75 (6.54%)
    More from Top Gainers

    Recommended For You

      More Recommendations

      Gold Prices

      • 24K
      • 22K
      Bangalore
      77,245.00-160.00
      Chennai
      77,251.00-160.00
      Delhi
      77,403.00-160.00
      Kolkata
      77,255.00-160.00

      Fuel Price

      • Petrol
      • Diesel
      Bangalore
      102.86/L0.00
      Chennai
      100.85/L-0.13
      Kolkata
      104.95/L0.00
      New Delhi
      94.72/L0.00

      Popular in News

        HomeMarketsPremiumInstant LoanMint Shorts