AK-203 deal

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) which met under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister approved the long-pending deal for the manufacture of 6.71 lakh AK-203 assault rifles in India.
The two countries had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in 2019 following which a Joint Venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), was set up at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh for manufacturing the rifles.
Another deal likely to make progress is for Igla-S Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) systems.

The AK-203 is the most recent and sophisticated variant of the AK-47 rifle, which is widely regarded as the most reliable weapon in its class.
- The AK series of rifles (also known as ‘Avtomat Kalashnikova’ in Russia) is a line of Russian automatic rifles based on Mikhail Kalashnikov’s design.
AK-203 rifles are to be made from Ordinance Factory and would eventually replace the INSAS rifles used by the Army and paramilitary forces.

INSAS (INdian Small Arms System)- made by OFB, is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun. The INSAS was first used in battle during the Kargil War in 1999.
INSAS experienced numerous challenges during the Kargil War. Jamming, magazine cracking owing to cold, oil spray, injuries during fire practise, switching into automatic mode by itself, and other issues have been reported at high altitudes in the Himalayas.
A weapon used must be reliable and capable of operating in a wide range of climatic and terrain conditions, from extreme cold (as in the Siachen glaciers) to high heat (like in the Thar deserts). In a combat situation, it must be able to fire instantly when needed, with no difficulties like jamming. Hence, Ak-203 rifles make a better choice for the Indian security forces.
Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, AK-203 rifles will be manufactured in India. This might make the production of these weapons economical in the future, and India may be able to export them to other countries.

The DAC approved a proposal for the procurement of GSAT-7C communication satellite for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Induction of GSAT-7C Satellite and ground hubs for Software Defined Radios (SDRs) will enhance the ability of the armed forces to communicate beyond Line of Sight (LoS) among one another in all circumstances in a secure mode.
The project envisages complete design, development and launching of satellite in India, as a dedicated satellite for the IAF has been a long pending proposal.
- The Navy already has a dedicated communication satellite of its own, Rukmini.
To read more about DAC- https://officerspulse.com/defence-acquisition-council-3/
To read more about Ordnance Factory Board- https://officerspulse.com/ordnance-factory-board-corporatisation/

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dac-clears-ak-203-deal-with-russia/article37652359.ece

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