New Delhi: A delegation from Russia’s Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of the country’s Rostec State Corporation, is taking part in DefExpo India 2022, which will be held from October 18 to 22 in Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar.
The company will participate in the exhibition as a co-founder of the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, an India-Russia joint venture established to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles in India.
Alexander Mikheev, Rosoboronexport’s director general, said, “Rosoboronexport has the world’s largest portfolio of completed, on-going, and future defence production projects in India. The joint venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, in which Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov Concern will participate from the Russian side, is fully in line with the (Indian) government’s “Make in India” initiative and Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 rules.”
Mikheev further said, “The Korwa Ordnance Factory (in Uttar Pradesh) is ready to start manufacturing Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles by the end of 2022. Our plans include 100% localization of the production of the 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.”
The Kalashnikov AK-200 series assault rifles have successfully passed the test programme. They are currently being supplied to government customers in Russia and are also exported to partners who have higher requirements of 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, which enables the effective use of weapons in various conditions.
The rifles have a folding stock. In addition, several other ergonomic solutions have been incorporated into them to optimize operation. 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,” Mikheev said.
