Russia’s Rosoboronexport has begun an export campaign for the new Garpia-A1E loitering munition, offering the system to foreign customers and discussing possible local production. The company says it has a range of up to 1,000 km.
Russia has set up manufacturing of the Mango armour-piercing tank round in India, designed to be fired from the guns of T-72 and T-90 Main Battle Tanks and penetrate composite armour. It has also announced the delivery of 35,000 AK203 rifles to the Indian defence ministry, manufactured by the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture at Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
According to India’s defence ministry, an order worth INR 5,100 crore (around USD 670 million) has been placed for 6,01,427 AK203 rifles to be manufactured at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The 7.62 X 39mm calibre AK203 rifle will replace the INSAS rifle that has been in service for three decades.
Even after two decades since the acquisition case, the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) search has seen a system absent from trials and failing trials, being passed as technically compliant and ending up as, apparently, the cheapest. Also problematic is the difficulty its purchase could pose by provoking U.S. sanctions under their CAATSA.
