Indian Army issues RfI for .338 sniper rifles
The Indian Army procured some examples of Sako’s TRG 42 last year, but another 4,800 sniper rifles are required. (Beretta NZ)
Sniper rifles for the Indian military are just one category of small arms that has made little progress in terms of successful tenders.
The Indian MoD issued a fresh RfI on 28 June for approximately 4,800 bolt-action sniper rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum, with the intention of issuing nearly all to the Indian Army.
The Defence Procurement Board had announced the acceptance of necessity for these rifles in May. The rifles are to be fitted with 5-25x telescopic sights and supplied with 7.8 million rounds of ammunition.
Some 4,500 rifles will go to the army, 200 to the Indian Air Force and the remainder to the Indian Navy. A budget of about INR4.5 billion ($57 million) has been allocated.
The acquisition is
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