SIG Sauer recently announced the selection of the SIG716 rifle platform by the Government of India, Ministry of Defense. SIG will supply the Indian Army with 145,400 rifles for service.

Indian Army Selects SIG716 Rifle

“We are proud to be a partner in the modernization effort of the Indian Army, and prouder still that the SIG716 rifle achieves the Ministry of Defence’s modernization goals with the second largest army in the world,” began Ron Cohen, President and CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. 

The Government of India, Ministry of Defence, first awarded a contract to SIG Sauer for the SIG716 in 2019. That contract called for 72,400 rifles. The successful fielding and overwhelming soldier acceptance led to the is follow-on award for an additional 73,000 rifles, according to SIG Sauer.

“Since the initial fielding of the SIG716, we have received phenomenal end-user feedback on the performance and reliability of the platform.  Throughout this time, we have strengthened and further solidified our partnership with the Indian Ministry of Defence and are honored to earn their continued trust equiping their frontline infantrymen.”

The SIG716 features a 16-inch barrel, M-LOK handguard and a six-position telescoping stock. It comes chambered in 7.62 NATO, an enhanced AR platform built for life as a duty rifle.

For more info, visit sigsauer.com.

Editor’s Take:

Since winning the Next Generation Squad Weapon contract, SIG continues its tear across the military and law enforcement world. More and more agencies and military groups select SIG products for duty and defense. Unlike some other companies that limited their focus to contract weapons, SIG has continued pushing into new areas, including ammo, optics, suppressors and the civilian market as well. So we shooters can continue getting civilian versions of some of the best weapon systems for the U.S. military and abroad. For the case of the SIG716, a civilian version comes from the Tread line in the form of the 716i Tread.

On February 18, 2019, Tactical Life reported:

The Government of India, Ministry of Defense recently awarded a contract to SIG Sauer to deliver 72,400 SIG716 rifles. Moreover, expectations are the rifles will outfit frontline infantry soldiers. Additionally, more than 1.2 million troops serve in India, making it the second largest standing army in the world, according to SIG.

Indian Army Selects SIG716

“This is the first large firearms procurement of the Indian Government in decades, and the explicit mission for this tender was to modernize the infantry troopers of the Indian Army with the best rifle available,” began Ron Cohen, President and CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. “We competed in an open tender with small arms manufacturers from around the world. The SIG716 rifle underwent a comprehensive and exhaustive testing and evaluation process where it outperformed the competition, and was ultimately chosen, and met all the criteria, as the best rifle to modernize the Indian Army.”

The SIG716 is an enhanced AR platform featuring a 16-inch barrel, M-LOK handguard, and a 6-position telescoping stock.

“The global importance of this contract for SIG SAUER is far reaching based on the size, location, and economic strength of India in the global market. We are very proud, and honored that the SIG716 was chosen for use by the fighting forces of the Indian Army, and we are looking forward to developing a strong partnership with India’s Ministry of Defense,” added Cohen.

SIG Sauer SIG716 Features

Firstly, the SIG716, chambered in 7.62 NATO, features a four-position, adjustable gas system. Moreover, this system enables the rifle effectively operate various ammunition types, as well as many suppressors.

Further, the U.S. civilian market features two variants, the SIG716 Patrol and SIG716 DMR. Additionally, the Patrol employs a 16-inch, free-floated barrel mounted into a quad-rail system. Also, the Patrol utilizes flip-up sights and a Cerakote coating. Meanwhile, the DMR features an 18-inch threaded barrel. Finally, an included Harris bi-pod and two-stage match trigger make the DMR ready for extended ranges.

For more information, visit sigsauer.com.