Russia's Rosoboronexport to discuss production, sale of AK-203 rifles at Defexpo in Gujarat
Oct 17, 2022
Moscow [Russia], October 17 : A delegation from Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of the Rostec State Corporation, is taking part in Defexpo India 2022 slated to take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat starting Tuesday, the company said.
The company participates in the exhibition as a co-founder of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, a Russian-Indian joint venture established to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles in India, according to a Rosoboronexport press statement.
"Rosoboronexport has the world's largest portfolio of completed, on-going and future defense production projects in India. The joint venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, in which Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov Concern participate from the Russian side, is fully in line with the Government's Make in India initiative and Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 rules," said Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev.
"The Korwa Ordnance Factory is ready to start manufacturing Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles by the end of 2022. Our plans include 100 per cent localization of the production of legendary Russian assault rifles in India. In addition, in the future, the joint venture may increase production and modernize production facilities to manufacture advanced rifles based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle platform," Mikheev said.
In the statement, Rosoboronexport said Kalashnikov AK-200 series assault rifles have successfully passed the test program, are supplied to government customers in Russia, and are also exported to partners who impose higher requirements on small arms. These assault rifles have retained all the advantages of the traditional AK pattern: reliability, durability and ease of maintenance.
Kalashnikov A-200-series assault rifles are in line with all current trends in small arms technology. They are fitted with integral Picatinny rails for convenient and easy mounting of sights and tactical accessories, enabling the effective use of weapons in various conditions. The rifles have a folding stock.
In addition, a number of other ergonomic solutions have been incorporated into them to optimize operation. In particular, they feature a redesigned fire selector and a modified receiver cover. This gives the users the opportunity to fully realize their shooting skills, regardless of their anthropometric data and the availability of a variety of personal gear, outfit and uniforms.
During the exhibition, Rosoboronexport will discuss with the Indian side the production and supply of AK-203 for the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies of the country. In addition, the company will present a wide range of additional modern equipment designed both for customizing the assault rifle itself and for equipping personnel.
"We also look forward to fruitful meetings and negotiations with partners on the entire range of issues related to military-technical cooperation between Russia and India. Rosoboronexport is ready to discuss mutually beneficial projects and talk about its exclusive proposals on joint work complying with the terms of ToT (transfer of technology) imposed by the Indian side," Alexander Mikheev added.
