Army in the market for new assault rifles - The Times of India
The Army now wants a complete overhaul of its basic weaponry for soldiers. The ball has been set rolling for the acquisition of advanced 5.56mm assault rifles in huge numbers to replace the existing indigenous 5.56mm INSAS (Indian small arms system) rifles, which has suffered from glitches since its induction in 1997-1998.
Defence ministry sources said a global tender has been issued to over 40 armament firms to submit their bids for the new 5.56mm assault rifles, which can be equipped with night-vision devices, laser designators, detachable under-barrel grenade launchers and the like.
The initial order is likely to be for direct purchase of around 66,000 rifles, followed by largescale licensed manufacture by the Ordnance Factory Board to equip the 13-lakh strong armed forces as well as the 8-lakh central paramilitary forces. The mega project could be well worth over Rs 20,000 crore once its exact contours are firmed up.
The Army is already inducting, or plans to induct, a wide array of small arms, ranging from "close-quarter battle'' (CQB) carbines and light-weight assault rifles to anti-material "bunker-bursting'' rifles and specialized sniper rifles.
The new 3.5-kg assault rifles to be acquired are in line with the Army's long-delayed F-INSAS (future infantry soldier as a system) project, which is geared towards enhancing the "lethality and survivability'' of foot soldiers.
The aim behind F-INSAS is to transform soldiers into self-contained, fully-networked, mobile killing machines, with a high degree of 'situational awareness' and capable of operating in all-terrain and all-weather conditions.
Under it, infantry soldiers are to be progressively equipped with light-weight integrated ballistic helmets with 'heads-up display' and miniaturized communication systems; portable visual, chemical and biological sensors; hand-held computer displays, GPS and video links; and lethal firepower with laser-guided modular weapon systems
Army officers say INSAS rifles, which have an effective 400-metre range, are slowly but surely becoming obsolete. It had become the standard basic weapon for the 324 infantry battalions (each with over 800 soldiers) in the Army from the late 1990s onwards after the earlier cumbersome 7.62mm self-loading rifles were phased out.
INSAS rifles had several "teething problems'' in the initial phases, with complaints of "cold arrest'' and cracking of the bullet magazines, especially in high-altitude areas like Kargil and Siachen. This, in fact, had forced the Army to import one lakh AK-47 rifles in 1995 for counter-insurgency and other operations.
Though many of the defects in the INSAS rifles were later rectified, the Army still continues to use the "fail-safe'' and rugged AK-47s more for close-quarter fighting with militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
