ARMY REELS UNDER ACUTE SHORTAGE OF QUALITY GUNS

[Zarvan]

IWI Micro Tavor X95 Automatic Carbine

New Delhi: Amid the brouhaha over social media posts by Jawans highlighting poor equipment and low quality of food, a vital requirement has remained unfulfilled over the years — soldiers’ trusted companion, guns.

An effort to acquire a family of small arms numbering about 65,000 Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), 44,164 carbines, 44,000 LMGs and a large number of pistols remains mired in bureaucratic red tape.

While the forces gave a strong thumbs down to the DRDO-made INSAS 5.56mm gun, which did not prove to be a success in its first full-scale combat in Kargil, the Army Commanders’ Conference in September 2015 suggested an urgent caliber change of the basic mainstay weapon from 5.56mm to 7.62mm. “It was more of a statement against being straddled with INSAS, which was virtually forced on the Army,” a serving Army official said, seeking anonymity.

There are several complaints against the 5.56mm INSAS that was introduced as the basic soldier’s hand weapon in 1990. Its magazines crack up easily, especially in extreme cold weather conditions besides being easily jammed, it spurts out oil during firing, going into automatic mode when it was set for three-round to name a few. These misgivings have resulted in the hunt for a better mainstay infantry weapon.

“While the rifle caliber change is okayed, the acquisition proposal in still in the Request For Proposal stage. Attempts to fast track it are being bogged down by official procedure,” said another Army source.

“The RFP for carbines was withdrawn because of a controversy over the gun sights. Now a fast-track procedure with transfer of technology is being explored without the gun sights,” the source said, adding that the gun sights would be made by the DRDO under the Make in India program. Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and Colt (US) are the two competitors for carbines.

The procurement procedure for the carbines would be completed in two years but it will still take some more time for the actual weapon to be physically possessed by soldiers.

The procurement process for LMGs is mired in a piquant situation where only an Israeli make (IWI-made) has qualified leading to a single vendor situation. “But this is a resultant single vendor situation which is allowed under Defense Procurement Procedure rules,” the source added.

Procuring the guns have become all the more urgent over unconfirmed reports say that Pakistan Army is looking to order a huge quantity of AK-103 assault rifles from Russia. The AK-103 is currently the most advanced gun in the Kalashnikov series.

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[Aawish]

AK-103 is rejected by Pakistan army as far as I know.

 

[Pakistan First]

How can bhaRAT think of fighting war with Pakistan with their under-equipped, under-fed and de-moralized soldiers?

 

[punit]

How can bhaRAT think of fighting war with Pakistan with their under-equipped, under-fed and de-moralized soldiers?

so what are u waiting for !

 

[shah1398]

so what are u waiting for !

We are waiting for positive response from India with regards to halt to arms race, fingering in our affairs, give us our due right of water etc etc, in short we for durable peace initiative from India rather than war trumpets as we love a peaceful life more than anything.

 

[punit]

We are waiting for positive response from India with regards to halt to arms race, fingering in our affairs, give us our due right of water etc etc, in short we for durable peace initiative from India rather than war trumpets as we love a peaceful life more than anything.

we tried all .. got stabbed in back every time. so no one is interested any more.

 

[shah1398]

we tried all .. got stabbed in back every time. so no one is interested any more.

Yeah like handing over flowers with a fake smile while brandishing a dagger at the back. Yes U tried and got succeeded in creating Bangladesh in 1971. U tried and ended in failed Pokhran nuke tests in 1974 thus plunging the region into a nuclear armed race. And U are still trying to poke your nose in our affairs in shape of Balochistan etc. On the contrary it was us who first extended a hand of friendship by solving differences on table talk and that resulted in IWT decades back in 1960 whom U are hell bent on destroying. Its us who is time and again calling for dialogue on basis of no preconditions set by anyone. But still U r the good guys and ofcourse we are the bad ones.

 

[Bheemsen]

We are waiting for positive response from India with regards to halt to arms race, fingering in our affairs, give us our due right of water etc etc, in short we for durable peace initiative from India rather than war trumpets as we love a peaceful life more than anything.

It was a good joke , please tell some more hilarious fictitious tales.

And FYI sorry state of defense equipments is due to a decade of congress govt and their corruption , things are being taken care by new nationalist govt in slow and steady manner , will be accelerated soon.

 

[shah1398]

It was a good joke , please tell some more hilarious fictitious tales.

So this was all that U could come up with?

And FYI sorry state of defense equipments is due to a decade of congress govt and their corruption , things are being taken care by new nationalist govt in slow and steady manner , will be accelerated soon.

So congress was corrupt but the Faqir Modi whose wears a dress worth lacs takes ashnan in Gangajal? Thats how every politician feeds on blind followers who ll always follow their Neta no matter what. Good luck with that.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

How can bhaRAT think of fighting war with Pakistan with their under-equipped, under-fed and de-moralized soldiers?

Because this is a major upgrade for a future war and a stupid reason is given like poor quality of existing weapons etc so that no one doubts us.