Weapon Research and Development Plant, Weapon Production Center (WPC), Defence Industry and Energy Center (DIEC), Ministry of Defence of Thailand has testing prototype of domestic MOD2020 5.56mm assault rifles during late June to July 2022. If certificated by Armament Standard Committee of Ministry of Defence of Thailand, MOD2020 to be production testing for 25 pilot rifles, followed lot 1 production line for 50 service rifles in mid 2023.
The Series of Testing included endurance for continuous firing 6,000 rounds, soak in mud and dry and dust and sand then firing, high humidity and soaked in 5% NaCl saline conditions for 10 days then test firing. At firing range of 2nd Infantry Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, Royal Thai Army (RTA) Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
The MOD2020 is based on improvements of the Colt AR-15 family in service with the Royal Thai Armed Force and Royal Thai Police in many versions such as M16A1, M16A2, M16A4, CAR-15, M4, etc. The components of the MOD2020 rifle are 80 percent home-made. The weapon passed the standard test imposed by the Armament Standards Committee, Ministry of Defense, namely the durability of firing more than 6,000 rounds.
The latest MOD963 and MOD2020 rifles are not related to NARAC556 rifles of NARAC ARMS INDUSTRY (NRC) Thailand. After testing, it is expected that the first 50 guns will be produced in the middle of the year year 2023. The Ministry of Defense of Thailand also has purchased an undisclosed number of indigenous NARAC556 assault rifles, designated MOD 963 and MOD 963 AR for 20 “and 14.5” length barrel respectively.
