Wang Dong is definitely not the only one who has similar thoughts.

A few days later, Serena delivered 20 DF-21NIXs to the Indian military's test site and handed them over to the Indian Ministry of Defence.

According to the regulations, Gao Jun and three technicians stayed behind to provide assistance.

Of course, they are also responsible for guarding and keeping these firearms.

The so-called DF-21NIX, in fact, is the magic version of DF762N, the core components are exactly the same as DF762N, the only thing that has changed is the appearance, that is, a Picatinny rail has been added on both sides and below the handguard, the foldable butt has been changed to a retractable one that looks more modern, a reflex sight is installed, the front sight can be folded, and the muzzle device is replaced with a flame suppressor with a certain deterrent effect.

There is no doubt that it bears little resemblance to the DF762N in appearance.

Because it was used to compete for the contract in India, the code name of the new gun was used, and the last three English letters, "N" is the code of the rifle, "I" represents India, "X" represents the test model, and as for "21", it was Gao Jun who came up with it, which means the 21st century.

In terms of performance, the DF-21NIX is almost indistinguishable from the production DF762N.

In fact, the core components of both rifles are almost all interchangeable.

Strictly speaking, the DF-21NIX actually has two sub-models, namely the DF-21NIX (min) and DF-21NIX (max), which use 5.56 mm NATO and 7.62 mm NATO shells respectively, and can also be subdivided into different tactical models according to the length of the barrel.

However, in accordance with the requirements put forward by the Indian military, there is no clear distinction.

According to the instructions submitted by D&F, the DF-21NIX can fire different types of ammunition by simply replacing the barrel, bolt and magazine.

As for the size of the magazine interface, it can be solved with one adapter.

It can be said that in terms of versatility, the DF-21NIX is better than the DF762N, but the actual value is not great, because on the battlefield, it is simply impossible for soldiers to disassemble rifles, replace core components such as bolts, and not to distribute two types of ammunition to soldiers for tactical needs.

Even if it needs to be changed, it's outside the battlefield.

In addition, in practice, only special forces, who often fight alone, need to consider having the rifle capable of firing a variety of bullets.

In regular troops, rifles use only standard cartridges.

In fact, the Indian Army mainly procures rifles to replace INSAS, and only needs a few rifles that fire 7.62mm NATO rounds to replace AKMs.

In addition, the Indian army's decision to decommission the INSAS assault rifle is not that it is not powerful enough, but that its reliability is too poor.

Obviously, the Indian army did not think about making a fuss about guns, but only hoped to obtain a standard rifle that was reliable enough and easy to maintain.

According to the Indian army's thinking, the 5.56 mm NATO shell represented by the SS109 can be used for decades.

As for whether small-caliber rifle cartridges will be eliminated, the Indian military certainly did not think about it.

Of the 12 manufacturers that qualified for the bidding within the allotted time, only six submitted prototypes, and the other six opted out.

The reasons must be varied.

However, there is one thing in common, that is, the six manufacturers who have withdrawn all believe that India may not sign a procurement contract in the short term.

As long as you don't sign a contract, everything is in vain.

If it drags on for a few years, when the Indian army has enough funds, it will definitely re-tender instead of purchasing firearms designed a few years ago.

In fact, this is also a common practice of the Indian military.

If there is no hope, then why waste time in India?

Even of the six manufacturers that submitted prototypes, only three met the Indian military's requirements for two models that fired different cartridges, with at least 70 percent commonality of parts, and the core components that needed to be replaced were limited to the barrel, bolt and magazine.

When it comes to versatility, the SCAR-IA offered by FN is the best.

By simply replacing the barrel and magazine, the SCAR-IA can fire three different caliber rounds, and even the bolt is completely universal.

Because of the principle of piston short-stroke automatic, the SCAR-IA needs to change the air intake volume when firing different bullets.

Obviously, if there is still a final selection link, then only these three companies are eligible to enter, namely FN, D&F and H&K.

A month later, the primary selection ended, and the three companies qualified for the final selection.

After receiving the news, Wang Dong accompanied Serena back to New Delhi.

Because the Indian military had not announced when the primary election would be completed, Wang Dong and others returned to Edinburgh after handing in the sample guns.

Of course, Gao Jun and Zhao Huang stayed in New Delhi and were responsible for maintaining contact with the Indian Ministry of Defense.

Entering the final selection process, Wang Dong was not surprised, even if according to his instructions, Zhao Huang did not look for Rajani again, let alone give gifts.

According to Gao Jun's analysis, the Indian Ministry of Defense let D&F participate in the final election, not because it fancied DF-21NIX, but because it wanted to lower the price of FN company.

Quite simply, India's Ministry of Defense had expected that H&K had no intention of winning the bid.

The point is that H&K is bidding on the HK416/417 rifle or the standard model, which has not been modified for the special environment in India.

In addition, H&K has a better rifle, the HK433.

All in all, if H&K wants to get a contract from the Indian military, it should be more serious.

So, if D&F is not sent to the final selection link, and H&K will find a reason to withdraw at that time, what will the Indian military do with FN company?

In fact, this is also a method that India is used to.

Strictly speaking, D&F companies are not eligible to participate in the final selection.

That is, the Indian Ministry of Defense clearly mentioned in the tender that the bidding firearms must be mature products, and only improvements are allowed for India's actual needs.

FN's SCAR-IA is an improved version of SCAR-H, which is a mature product.

Not to mention H&K, the HK416/417 has been on the market for more than a decade.

What about D&F?

In order to avoid being associated with the DF762N, which was sold to Saudi Arabia and later fell into the hands of Pakistani special forces, D&F claimed that the DF-21NIX was a brand new firearm that had nothing to do with DF762N, and that it could use the code name of the Indian army after it was purchased in India.

The point is, the DF-21NIX has not yet been introduced to the market and there are no other users.

Obviously, this does not correspond to the tender requirements of the Indian military.

The Indian authorities have ignored this and have proven their intention to have D&F companies participate in the final election.

To make it clear, D&F is a green leaf to be a foil.

Compared with the primary selection, the final selection is mainly about price negotiations, and there are not many technical issues involved.

According to the requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defense, the three companies participating in the final selection must submit the final bid within one month, clearly explaining the total contract price, the specific content of after-sales service, the transfer fee of technology patents and production authorization, and the technical support provided to the cooperative Indian factory.

If there are technical problems with the firearm, it can be improved during the final selection period and then handed over to the Indian military for retesting.

The key is that the final selection is not compared, and the Indian Ministry of Defense will choose one of them after comprehensive consideration based on the final bids of the bidding manufacturers.

To put it simply, there will be no explanation for the final choice.