Brazil's Taurus to supply over 12,000 T4 rifles to Philippine Army
The T4 is the first 5.56mm caliber rifle produced outside the US to have been purchased by the Philippine Armed Forces
Eyal Boguslavsky
| 19/01/2021
Photo: 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army
Brazilian company Taurus Armas, a manufacturer of small arms, has been awarded a contract to supply 12,412 of its T4 automatic rifles to the Philippine Army. The contract is said to be valued at $7.3 million.
According to Taurus, the T4, which is based on the 5.56mm NATO Colt M4, is a lightweight rifle designed for military and police use that can be adapted for a wide range of accessories. The weapon is said to be manufactured with the latest generation of materials. The T4 is the first 5.56mm caliber rifle produced outside the US to have been purchased by the Philippine Armed Forces.
The Brazilian website exame.com said that the result of the bidding was highly awaited by the company, which has disclosed each step of the process. In early December, Taurus reported that its rifle had passed qualifying resistance tests conducted by the Philippine Army. The Brazilian company had already supplied more than 20,000 pistols to the police forces in the Asian country.
The company says that a previous contract to supply rifles and pistols to the Philippine army and police, coupled with a joint venture with India’s Jindal Defense, indicates a promising outlook for Taurus in Asian markets. India recently requested ten T4 rifles for evaluation as a candidate for its Close Quarter Battle (CQB) rifle, with the future procurement estimated at 350,000 to 500,000 units. The CQB weapon intended for short-range infantry combat, and particularly for infantry units operating in the border regions with Pakistan, will be shorter than a standard assault rifle.
The T4 is the first 5.56mm caliber rifle produced outside the US to have been purchased by the Philippine Armed Forces
Photo: 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army
Brazilian company Taurus Armas, a manufacturer of small arms, has been awarded a contract to supply 12,412 of its T4 automatic rifles to the Philippine Army. The contract is said to be valued at $7.3 million.
According to Taurus, the T4, which is based on the 5.56mm NATO Colt M4, is a lightweight rifle designed for military and police use that can be adapted for a wide range of accessories. The weapon is said to be manufactured with the latest generation of materials. The T4 is the first 5.56mm caliber rifle produced outside the US to have been purchased by the Philippine Armed Forces.
The Brazilian website exame.com said that the result of the bidding was highly awaited by the company, which has disclosed each step of the process. In early December, Taurus reported that its rifle had passed qualifying resistance tests conducted by the Philippine Army. The Brazilian company had already supplied more than 20,000 pistols to the police forces in the Asian country.
The company says that a previous contract to supply rifles and pistols to the Philippine army and police, coupled with a joint venture with India’s Jindal Defense, indicates a promising outlook for Taurus in Asian markets. India recently requested ten T4 rifles for evaluation as a candidate for its Close Quarter Battle (CQB) rifle, with the future procurement estimated at 350,000 to 500,000 units. The CQB weapon intended for short-range infantry combat, and particularly for infantry units operating in the border regions with Pakistan, will be shorter than a standard assault rifle.
