In a first, Indian firm SSS Defence exports sniper rifles to a friendly foreign country

New Delhi: In a first, domestic firm Stumpp Schuele & Somappa Defence has exported sniper rifles to a friendly foreign country.

The sniper rifles use the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge and are supposed to be high-powered rifles for hitting targets at ranges of around 1,500 metres by military snipers.

The sniper rifle, Sabre, is completely designed, manufactured, and tested in India.

Apart from the rifle, SSS Defence has also exported match-grade ammunition worth $50 million to various countries and is in the process of negotiating with several other countries for the export of the rifles and ammunition.

The Indian Army also has a requirement for the procurement of 4,500 .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles. It has already imported a limited quantity of Italian .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT sniper rifles and .50 caliber Barrett M95 from the United States.

Until a few years ago, and even now to a certain extent, the Indian Army used the 7.62x54mm Russian-made Dragunov designated marksman rifle (DMR) as the standard-issue long-range rifle.

However, the 7.62x54mm bullet does not have enough energy to be effective at ranges beyond 900-1,000 metres, therefore the army is looking to buy the .338 Laua Magnum cartridge rifles.

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