India Complains about Defective Weapons Supplied by Bulgaria, Italy

The Kazanlak-based plant of Bulgarian weapons manufacturer Arsenal AD. Photo by novini.bg

Over 600 sophisticated weapons supplied under public procurement contracts with Bulgarian and Italian companies for India's paramilitary forces have proved faulty.

According to local authorities, as cited by The Times of India, in the period between 2010 and 2012, Bulgaria-based Arsenal AD supplied 67 500 AK-47 assault rifles, 49 of which proved defective in tests.

In the same period, Italian Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta supplied 17 000 MX4 Storm pistol-caliber carbines, 582 of which proved defective.

The Indian government said that the cost of the faulty AK-47s had been deducted from the total price of the contract with the Bulgarian company, while the Italian firm was asked to replace the defective weapons.

India's Minister of State for Home Affairs Mulapali Ramachandran announced that the share of defective AK-47s was 0.07%, while faulty pistol-caliber carbines were 2.44%.

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