New Delhi: The Indian Army will have to wait for at least one and half years to get the second lot of over 72,000 US-made assault rifle Sig Sauer 716 as the cost is still being negotiated.

“Cost is being negotiated and then order will be placed. It would take at least one year after the contract is signed,” a source in the defence establishment said.

In September last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-headed Defence Acquisition Council had given clearance for the procurement of additional 72,400 assault rifles from the US.

The Indian Army had received the previous order of same quantity that was signed in 2019 at around Rs 700 crore, have been provided to troops deployed on borders, involved in counter insurgence and counter terrorism operations.

These assault rifles will replace the obsolete Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56x45mm rifles, which were inducted two decades back.

Last month, India and Russia had inked a pact to procure 70,000 AK-203 rifles. The two countries had also formed a joint venture to manufacture AK-203 assault rifles at Korwa in 2019. However, the production is yet to start.

As per the reports, India is keen to procure around 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles to do away with shortage of guns for the troops.

Earlier, the government had ordered for procurement of 16,500 Light Machine Guns from Israel. Out of which, 6,000 have been delivered to India.

India has speeded up its procurement and modernisation drive amidst border standoff with China in the eastern Ladakh since May last year. Though, the disengagement has taken place at several friction points but still a large number of China’s PLA troops are present in the depth areas.