GS 3: Internal Security

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for AK-203 rifles manufacturing unit in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

Highlights:

• On the occasion of laying the foundation stone, PM Modi thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for making the venture possible in such a short time.
• The message of the Russian President Vladimir Putin was read out by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the occasion.

AK-203 Rifle Manufacturing Unit:

• The rifles will be manufactured in Amethi as a joint venture between India and Russia.
• In the Amethi Manufacturing facility, world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifles of the newest 200 series would be manufactured.
• This unit envisions full localisation of production over a period of time.
• This new Kalashnikov assault rifles will fulfil the needs of national security agencies in this category of small arms, resting upon advanced Russian technologies.
• The agreement for the joint venture was reached during the visit of President Putin to India last October.
• The rifle manufacturing unit in Amethi symbolises the military and technical cooperation between India and Russia which has been the key areas of the strategic partnership between Russia and India.

Kalashnikov Rifles:

• Kalashnikov Rifles were developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
• The rifles were officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces in the year 1949.
• Even after seven decades, the model and its variants remain the most popular and widely used assault rifles in the world because of their substantial reliability under harsh conditions, low production costs compared to contemporary Western weapons, availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use.