New Delhi, March 19: The Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence Ministry on Thursday signed the capital acquisition contract worth Rs 880 crore with Israel Weapons Industries for procurement of 16,479 Light Machine Guns (LMG) for the Indian Army. The contracted Negev 7.62X51 mm LMG is a combat-proven weapon and currently used by several countries around the globe. Indian Army Gets New American Assault Rifles in Kashmir Valley Against Terrorists and Pakistan Army on LoC.

The Defence Ministry said, “This LMG will greatly enhance the lethality and range of a soldier vis-a-vis the presently used weapon.” The hunt to acquire new LMGs began last year under the fast track procedure. Initially, the ministry shortlisted companies from three countries - Bulgaria, Israel and South Korean, for acquiring LMGs. Defence Ministry to Procure 73,000 Assault Rifles From US Under Fast Track Mode.

In February 2018, the Defence Acquisition Council led by the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had cleared the procurement of the LMGs under the FTP. According to reports, United States-based Sig Sauer had also submitted its bid for providing LMGs to the Indian Army, but the company withdrew it later. The US-based company said that it could not provide LMGs as it also had an order for 72,400 assault rifles for the Indian Army under the FTP. The contract to procure assault rifles was signed in February last year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2020 09:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).