5.56 mm INSAS rifle was inducted into service in 1994. As its replacement, Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of New Generation Assault Rifle was issued on multi-vendor basis, in November 2011, after obtaining Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for procuring rifle under Buy and Make with Transfer of Technology. However, the trials did not result in a clear compliant model in General Staff (GS) Evaluation. Therefore, Request for Proposal (RFP) was retracted in June 2015.
Indian Army, after detailed deliberations, has revised the caliber for new Assault Rifle to 7.62 x 51 mm to meet the desired operational parameters. Accordingly, Request for Information (RFI) for new Assault Rifle (7.62 x 51 mm) was uploaded on Ministry of Defence Website in September 2016.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Baijayant Jay Panda in Lok Sabha today.
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