India’s defense ministry has scrapped the procurements plan for over 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) for its foot soldiers in the infantry. 

This is the third such project, after the cases for new assault rifles and close-quarter battle carbines, to be junked over the last two years, Times of India reported Saturday.

 The defence ministry withdrew the tender or RFP (request for proposal) for the 7.62mm calibre LMGs on the ground that it had become a "single-vendor situation" with only the Israeli Weapon Industries (IWI) left in the fray after lengthy field trials from December 2015 to February 2017.

Because of the long-winded defense procurement procedure, it will years for the new guns to be inducted.