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it was the material which bent when the barrels got heated up when firing for more than several minutes
Nepal claim ludicrous: Army
NEW DELHI: The Army feels the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) is simply talking through its hat when it blames the Indian INSAS assault rifles for the reverses it is suffering against the Maoists in the landlocked kingdom.
RNA's criticism about what it calls "sub-standard" INSAS rifles has more do with "politics" than anything else, in keeping with Nepal's strategy to play on Indian fears that it could turn to a third country like China or Pakistan for arms supplies.
The 1.13-million-strong Indian Army, the third largest in the world, should know about the 5.56 mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles since it has inducted around five lakh of them since 1997-98. With an "effective 400-metre range" and capable of being fired either in single shots or three-round bursts, INSAS rifles have replaced the cumbersome 7.62 mm SLR (self-loading rifle) as the standard weapon for all infantry battalions.
"We are using INSAS rifles in counter-insurgency operations in extreme terrains ranging from Jammu and Kashmir to the North-East on a daily basis. If we can use them successfully in much more intense operations, there is no reason that RNA cannot," said a senior officer.
Quipped another, "RNA needs to be trained to handle the rifles better."
The Army is ready to train RNA once again on the "correct usage" of INSAS rifles, like it did in 2004. RNA soldiers are neglecting to maintain the rifles properly. INSAS rifles did have teething problems in the initial phases. There were, for instance, complaints of "cold arrest" and breakage and cracking of components, particularly the semi-transparent bullet magazines, in high-altitude areas like Kargil and Siachen.
Nepal claim ludicrous: Army - Times Of India