The Indian Air Force have been equipped with 'easy to operate' Russian made AK-103 assault rifles believed to have much less recoil and be easier for soldiers to use and the American made Sig Sauer, ANI said Thursday.
A video put out by news agency ANI displayed the weapon being demonstrated at the IAF's Garud Special Forces regiment center in UP's Bhagpat.
"Garud Spl Forces equipped with latest weaponry including American Sig Sauer and Russian origin AK-103 assault rifles. They'd also be provided with latest made-in-India AK-203 assault rifles... for specialist ops in counter-insurgency and other roles," officials said.
The video shows Garud Special Forces troops in various drills - shooting at targets in different positions. "... (will be) deployed in frontline areas along the China border from eastern Ladakh to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, where they will carry out specialist ops...," Air Force officials told ANI.
#WATCH | Garud Spl Forces equipped with latest weaponry including American Sig Sauer & Russian origin AK-103 assault rifles. They'd also be provided with latest Made in India AK-203 assault rifles in near future for specialist ops in counter insurgency &other roles: IAF officials pic.twitter.com/jaqQvQr5VK
— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2022
The soldiers also have the Negev light machine guns (LMG) with Galil sniper rifles both made in Israel. The latter can take out enemy soldiers up to 1,000 metres far.
The Garuds used the Negev LMG during the Rakht Hajin special operation in Jammu and Kashmir, in which five terrorists were killed and Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra.
The IAF’s Garud Special Forces have been positioned in high-altitude areas along the India-China border for specialist operations on the Line of Actual Control since May 2020.
Their presence and upgraded ammunitions for them is imperative now given China's aggression in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang.
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