Production Of AK-203 Assault Rifle Begins; First Batch From The Korwa Plant Expected In March

Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport, said on Tuesday that the Indo-Russian joint venture in Korwa, Uttar Pradesh, has begun making AK-203 assault rifles and will soon start sending them to the Indian Army.

General Manoj Pande, the head of the Indian Army, said that “In 32 months, the force will get 70,000 of the 6 lakh AK-203 odd rifles. By March of this year, the first batch of 5,000 rifles would be sent out.” He also said that 5–17% of these 70,000 rifles would be made from local materials, while the rest would be made entirely from local materials. All of the rifles for the Indian Army will be there in 128 months.

“With the start of mass production of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles, the Indian military and police will be able to start using high-quality, easy-to-use, and modern small arms. The model is one of the best assault rifles in the world because it has good ergonomics, can be used by different shooters, and performs well “Sergey Chemezov, who is the General Director of Rostec, said this.

The joint venture plans to make sure that all AK-203 rifles are made in India. This is what the company said. In the future, the company may also increase output and improve its production facilities to make advanced rifles based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle platform.

“The first 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles have been made at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi. It is likely that soon deliveries will start to the Indian Army. At the same time, the factory’s size means that other Indian law enforcement agencies can be fully armed with AK-203 assault rifles, which are good for many operators because they can be changed easily.

The products of the joint venture will also be able to be sold in other countries “Alexander Mikheev, the head of Rosoboronexport, said this. India is the first country to start making assault rifles in the AK-200 series.

About AK-203 assault rifles

The company says that the AK-200-series assault rifles have kept all the good things about the traditional AK design, such as being reliable, durable, and easy to maintain.

At the same time, they meet all of the world’s most recent requirements for firearms in terms of comfort and the ability to add high-tech accessories.

It also said that Rosoboronexport wants to work together in line with the Make in India initiative and the transfer of technology proposed by India. In 2019, the governments of New Delhi and Moscow signed a deal to set up Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, a joint business that will make AK-203 assault rifles. The Indian Small Arms System would be replaced by the AK-203 (INSAS).