The Indian Air Force has signed an agreement to purchase 70,000 AK-103 assault rifles from Russia as part of an emergency procurement, according to news agency media. The freshly purchased weapons, which will be used to replace India's present inventory of INSAS rifles, are scheduled to arrive within the next few months and are expected to provide a significant improvement in India's combat capabilities to better combat terrorist threats.

"The contract worth around Rs 300 crore was signed last week under emergency provisions to buy 70,000 AK-103 assault rifles from Russia," a government official familiar with the development informed the ANI news agency. "The weapons would be first provided to troops in field areas like Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar along with sensitive air bases.

In recent years, India has sought to strengthen its defence capabilities, a necessity exacerbated by recent clashes with Chinese forces on the eastern Ladakh front. Around 1.5 lakh Sig Sauer rifles and 16,000 Negev Light Machine Guns (LMGs) produced in the United States have already been sent to Indian troops on the front lines, while all of the armed services' basic weaponry is being modernized.

The AK-103 assault rifle is an upgraded version of the legendary and deadly AK-47 rifles. Only the Marine Commandos of the Indian Navy currently uses the AK-103 rifles, such as in operations at the Wular lake in Kashmir valley, where the elite unit is deployed. However, with the procurement of the new AK-103 riles, more troops within the armed forces will be able to use these rifles now, allowing them to fill the critical gaps in their preparedness in war-fighting.