$7 Million Contract Marks First Serious Foray into Asian Market
Brazilian company Taurus Armas has been awarded a contract to supply 12,412 of its T4 automatic rifles to the Philippines Army – its second with that nation. Contract value is stated at $7.3 million (€6 million) and Phillipine company Trust Trade has been selected as the local partner for service, technical assistance and spares.
The T4 is a lightweight rifle, manufactured with the latest generation materials and adapted for a wide range of accessories, designed for military and police use, and is based on the 5.56mm NATO Colt M4. Produced in Brazil, the T4 is the first 5.56mm calibre rifle produced outside the US to have been purchased by the Philippines armed forces.
A previous contract to supply rifles and pistols to the Philippine armed forces and police, coupled with a joint venture with India’s Jindal Defense, gives Taurus Armas a promising outlook on the Asian market. India recently requested ten T4 rifles for evaluation as a candidate for its Close Quarter Battle (CQB) rifle, for which estimatd volumes are stated as between 350,000 and 500,000 units. The CQB weapon is to be shorter than an assault rifle, and is intended for short-range infantry combat, particularly for infantry units operating in the border regions with Pakistan.
Santiago Rivas and Florencia Lucero Heguy in Buenos Aires for MON
