Small arms with lethal power for India

Russia, a longstanding defense partner of India, is reportedly in talks with New Delhi for sale of small arms like sniper rifles, submachine guns and grenade launchers.

Leonid Nikolay Skofenko, the head of the KBP Instrument Design Bureau in India, told ANI that India's National Security Guard enquired about its automatic grenade launcher system 'AGS 30' under direct sales.

He added: "NSG had used this automatic grenade launcher during the Mumbai terror attacks. But at that time, they had taken it from the army. Now, they are planning to acquire it directly from Russia."

The Russian firm claims that the AGS 30's arming device and fire control handles are designed to provide easy firing at any elevation angles. It is for the first time that one man is able to carry the grenade launcher and the mount. The rate of fire per minute is 400 rpm.

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"Earlier, we had supplied the AGS-30 to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) under a contract in August last year. Now, under the option clause, we would supply the automatic grenade launcher to the NSG and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)," Skofenko said.

The company will also bid for the tender for the sniper rifle contract.

He told ANI that "NSG has floated the tender for sniper rifles and we are pitching for our OSV-96".

It's a 12.7mm sniper rifle, which is "designed to engage various targets, including lightly armoured vehicles at a distance of up to 1800m".

It's foldable design and that makes the rifle easy for carrying. The unique feature of this rifle is that it is fitted with a collimating day sight and it is possible to fire the rifle with night vision. Skofenko also elaborated that 'it penetrates through the wall', Skofenko said.

"The MOD and MHA has called for its trials. The Navy's MARCOS (Marine Commandos) are also interested in this. So, we would be supplying this to the Navy too," he added.

Skofenko added that the GM 94, magazine grenade launcher is also what their company is bidding for the NSG for accomplishing operations of police forces.

The magazine grenade launcher has different types of grenades (air fuel explosive, smoke, non lethal, etc) and allows police to accomplish various missions.

The GM-94 is effective inside the buildings during assaults in confined spaces of any volume. It is also possible to fire with butt folded when is its used as a carrying handle.

The Russian arms company Izhmash, which is also attending the Defence Expo in India, is here with the latest AK assault rifles.

Andrey Baryshnikov of Izhmash told ANI: "We are making a move to sell AK-101 to AK 104 Kalashnikov rifles to India. These are technological advanced rifles as compared to AK-47 and AK-56 (Chinese).

He added, "We are making a proposal to the Indian government to produce these rifles in India under license system."

"Around 60 countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, are using their AK rifles. Russia does not sell weapons to Pakistan," he added.