The 5.56 mm assault rifle the Cugir Arms Factory intends to develop under a project initiated more than a decade ago is in the completed industrial prototype stage and is now awaiting approval according to NATO standards.

Cugir Arms Factory general director Radu Coroama offered on Thursday the press more details about the 5.56 mm assault weapon developed in cooperation with Bucharest-based company Stimpex.

"The rifle is at the stage of completed industrial prototype, that is, its entire configuration has been established, and the tests specific to the prototype stage have been fully completed. There were some small changes, some minor adjustments. At the moment, a new weapon is being built from scratch, that is, all the parts are machined and the technological process for the serial production of the weapon is established. The rifle will then enter the approval procedure according to NATO Standard D 14. After that, it will be offered to the forces of the national defense system, NATO partners and to anyone interested," said Radu Coroama, who added that the approval phase is planned to take six months.

Talks about the manufacturing of a new assault weapon at the Cugir facility date since long, and this has been a recurring subject over time on the occasion of the local visits by several Defense and Economy ministers. AGERPRES (RO - author: Marinela Brumar, editor: Marius Fratila; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)