Defence Ministry signs ₹659-crore deal for advanced night sights for Indian Army’s SIG 716 Rifles

Defence Ministry Signs ₹659-Crore Deal for Night Sights to Enhance Indian Army’s SIG 716 Rifles

October 16, 2025

India Signs ₹659-Crore Deal for Night Sights to Boost Army’s Combat Power

₹659-Cr boost for Indian Army: Indigenous night sights to enhance SIG 716 Rifles

The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed a contract worth ₹659.47 crore for the procurement of advanced Night Sights (image intensifiers) and related accessories for the 7.62×51 mm SIG 716 assault rifles used by the Indian Army, the ministry announced in an official release.

The new Night Sights will significantly enhance the Army’s night-fighting capabilities by allowing soldiers to engage targets accurately at ranges up to 500 metres, even under starlit conditions. According to the ministry, this upgrade represents a “marked improvement” over the currently deployed Passive Night Sights (PNS) in service.

The procurement has been classified as a Buy (Indian-IDDM) case, with more than 51% indigenous content, in line with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The contract was signed with a consortium comprising MKU Ltd (Lead Member) and Medbit Technologies Pvt Ltd on October 15, 2025.

“The induction of these state-of-the-art night sights will enable soldiers to fully exploit the longer effective range of the SIG 716 assault rifle,” the ministry said.

Officials added that the project will bolster domestic defence production capabilities and open new opportunities for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in component manufacturing and raw material supply chains.

The SIG 716, an upgraded assault rifle inducted into the Army in recent years, is already known for its superior range and firepower. The addition of the new indigenous night sights is expected to further improve operational readiness and effectiveness in low-light combat environments, particularly in border areas and counter-insurgency zones.

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