The Royal Nepal Army is in the market for 50,000 new assault rifles for its troops over the next five years. The deal is worth $10 million and several manufacturers have been here for demos. Sources say the top brass is leaning towards the G36 made by German company, Heckler & Koch. The G-36s are highly sophisticated and come with built-in telescopic sights, but are untested in Nepali terrain and climes. The competition includes US-made M16s, which the army uses on peacekeeping duties abroad, Israel's Galils and Belgian, Korean, Indian and Singaporean makes. Last year, H&K (also owned by British Ordinance) won a Rs370 million army contract to set up a weapons repair and maintenance centre in Nepal, and this supposedly makes the Germans front runners.