Indian army orders 73,000 more SIG716 SIG Sauer rifles

The Indian army has procured an additional 73,000 SIG716 rifles as part of a drive to modernize its combat gear, Newington, New Hampshire-based SIG Sauer, Inc. said this week.

When completed, 145,400 SIG716 rifles will be in service with the Indian Army, the company said.

The announcement has come immediately after defense minister Rajnath Singh’s official visit to the US last week.

India’s Defense Acquisition Council had approved the procurement of the additional SIG Sauer’s SIG716 7.62×51 mm rifles worth ₹840 crore (about $100 million), global open-source intelligence firm Janes said in December, citing a defense ministry spokesperson.

The deliveries of the new rifles are expected to be completed by the end of next year.

India had ordered the first batch of 72,400 SIG716 rifles worth $90 million in 2020 using an emergency procedure that requires equipment deliveries to be made within a year of the deal being signed.

“We are proud to be a partner in the modernization effort of the Indian Army, and prouder still that the SIG716 rifle achieves the (Indian) ministry of defense’s modernization goals,” Ron Cohen, president and chief executive of SIG Sauer, Inc., said in a statement.

The SIG716 is an enhanced AR platform chambered in 7.62 NATO featuring a 16-inch barrel, M-LOK™ handguard, and a six-position telescoping stock.

“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 ministry of defense and are honored to earn their continued trust equipping their frontline infantrymen,” Cohen added

SIG SAUER designs and builds the SIG716 rifles for the Indian Army and for all of its customers in the US, the company said in a statement.

The Indian army has been looking to replace the indigenous 5.56×45 mm Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) assault rifles with modern gear.