Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export
The development comes even as Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), a joint venture between the two countries, races towards delivery of 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 August, taking the total to 55,000 so far.
Korwa (Amethi): India and Russia are in advanced talks to jointly manufacture the AK-19 carbine and the PPK-20, a sub-machine gun, not just for domestic consumption by the armed and police forces but also for export.
Chambered for the 7.62×39 rounds, the AK-203 is a product of India's Army's decades long search to replace the 5.56×45 mm INSAS that was plagued by several issues.
'We have been contracted for 6,01,427 AK-203 by the defence ministry to be delivered by 2032. However, we have really picked up the production pace and will finish off the contract by the end of 2030. We will be doubling our production capacity to 600 rifles per day which basically translates to one rifle every 100 seconds,' Maj Gen S.K. Sharma, CEO and CMD of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, told ThePrint at his factory in Amethi's Korwa.
As reported first by ThePrint in July 2019, the Indian government has decided to deploy serving officers as CEO of the joint venture. Along with Maj Gen Sharma, there are two more serving officers of Colonel-rank who have been deputed to the IRRPL.
Speaking about the future, Maj Gen Sharma said: 'We are in talks with Russia for the full transfer of technology for the AK-19 and the PPK-20, both of which are excellent choices when it comes to small arms'.
He said that talks are in an advanced stage and the project will cater not only to domestic demand but also exports.
'The charter of the IRRPL underlines exports. We have already received several queries for the export of AK-203. Export deals will be done once we double our production capacity by the end of this year,' he added.
Refusing to name any countries, he said the queries have come from nations which have ties with both India and Russia, basically those in South East Asia, Africa and the MENA region, Middle East and North Africa.
'This is over and above the contracts that will be inked with several state and central armed police forces which have evinced interest,' he said.
As part of the project, eight Russian technical experts are stationed at Korwa and they will be there till all rifles are manufactured.
As part of the plan, the IRRPL has outsourced the manufacturing of components to two suppliers who have further outsourced to various other entities.
The IRRPL assembles 50 components, which includes 180 child parts, and tests them for quality and other issues. 'We have handheld our suppliers and have managed to create an ecosystem,' Maj Gen Sharma said.
Also Read: Ahead of Modi's visit to Moscow, Indo-Russia venture delivers 35,000 AK-203 rifles to Army
A look at AK-203
Weighing just 3.8 kg, the AK-203 is 690 mm long with a folded butt and can fire 700 rounds per minute with an effective firing range of 800 metres.
Compared to the AK-103, which was originally meant for joint production, the AK-203 comes with collapsible stock that can be adjusted according to a shooter's height.
The AK-203 also has a different safety mechanism that enables a soldier not to lose contact with the grip when changing firing modes during an operation. It also has a new flash hider that comes handy when the assault rifle is used with night vision, since muzzle flash from a bullet can hamper visibility.
The AK-203 deal was first announced in 2018, but hit a roadblock over price negotiations. The Made in India price was higher than what a direct import from Russia would have cost.
The defence ministry had even constituted a committee to break this logjam.
The delay forced the Army to order SiG 716 rifles from the US under a fast-tracked process to arm its frontline troops.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: SIG Sauer 716 rifles are a stopgap. AK-203 is the future rifle of Indian armed forces
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