ISLAMABAD: Indian army has started to equip its troops with new lethalhigh-precision rifles designed for sniper missions along the Line ofControl (LoC).
These deadly sniper rifles also include an anti-material rifle that canpenetrate through concrete and metal objects, such as vehicles, *KashmirMedia Service* reported on Friday.
The guns being given to the troops are the 0.338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGTby Beretta, and the 0.50 Calibre M95 by Barrett.
As per a report published by Srinagar-based daily on its website, theUS-made Barrett M95 is an anti-material rifle which has a whopping range of1,800 metres.
The other gun that will be available to the troops along the LoC is theVictrix Armaments .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT, made by Italian firmBeretta.
The Scorpio TGT uses the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.670mm or 8.5870mm), arimless, bottlenecked, centre-fire rifle cartridge, the report added.
Under the General Officer Commander-in-Chief of Udhampur-based NorthernCommand’s special financial power, the army floated tenders for procurementof 5,719 sniper rifles from global vendors in January.
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“We have been able to commence the induction of the new sniper rifles alongLoC and some more are still in the pipeline”, General Officer Commanding inChief (GoC-in-C), Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, was quoted by the *Press Trust ofIndia* as having said in reply to a question.
He was asked when the army will be inducting 5,719 sniper rifles fromglobal vendors to replace the ageing Russian Dragonov SVD as global tendershave already been floated.
The Indian army commander said some of these equipment have been receivedand some are likely to come in next sometime, adding the upgradation ofweaponry is an ongoing exercise. “Other equipment which enhance ourfighting capability is also being inducted. The capability building is inthe pipeline,” he said.
Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said last month that the NorthernCommand is soon going to be equipped with the new sniper rifles from thismonth.
