Army Starts Process to Purchase 1500 Lightweight Anti-Materiel Rifles

[Zarvan]

Representative image. Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The army has started the long-delayed process to procure around 1,500 anti-materiel lightweight rifles capable of damaging targets like battle tanks, low-flying helicopters and bunkers.

The rifles are being procured to strengthen the army's overall infantry and will particularly help it in operations in Jammu and Kashmir.


A Request for Information (RFI) for purchasing the rifles has been issued on Friday according to which the weapons should have a range of at least 1.8 kilometres with a calibre of 12.7 mm/0.50.

At present, the army is using South African weapons which are not very light and that is why, it was decided to procure the lightweight rifles whose weight will not be more than 15 kg each.

As per the RFI, the ammunition which should be available for the riffles include armour piercing incendiary and tracer, saboted light armour penetrator, armour piercing explosive incendiary and high explosive armour piercing incendiary.

The interested manufactures have been asked to respond to the RFI by May 15.

The procurement of the anti-materiel rifles has been long overdue after the government had scrapped a deal for it in 2005.

South African firm Denel was banned by the UPA government in 2005 after allegations that it had paid kickbacks to secure a deal with the Indian Army in 2002 to sell 1,000 NTW-20 anti-materiel rifles, along with 3,98,000 rounds of ammunition.

Under the deal, 700 rifles were to be purchased directly and the remaining 300 licence-produced in one of the factories of India's state-owned Ordnance Factory Board.

Only 400 rifles had been inducted into the army and the remainder put on hold after the 2005 blacklisting.

An anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment (materiel) than against enemy troops.

As per the RFI, in case of foreign vendors, the army asked them to explain whether they will be ready to offer transfer of technology (ToT) to the Indian industry for licenced manufacturing of the weapons. They have also been asked to whether ToT will be offered for sub-systems.

The manufacturers have also been asked to give details about cost of annual maintenance, product support package and training of the crew.

State-run Ordnance Factory, in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), had developed an anti-materiel rifle called Vidhwansak in 2007. The rifle was offered to the Indian Army but it chose not to induct it due weight issues.

http://www.news18.com/news/india/ar...lightweight-anti-materiel-rifles-1366719.html

 

[Hindustani78]

The rifles are being procured to strengthen the army's overall infantry and will particularly help it in operations in Jammu and Kashmir. PTI File photo


According to 2014 Article

The Indian Anti Material Rifle “Vidhwansak” appears to be an effective weapon. However, it weighs 25 kg impinging operational flexibility due to the man-portability factor.

Updated: 10/31/2016

The Vidhwansak is an indigenous anti-material rifle design currently in limited service with the Indian Army. The large and heavy rifle system is intended as a complementary battlefield fixture to combat enemy light vehicles, structures, fortifications, ordnance disposal and counter-sniping. The rifle entered service in 2007 to fulfill an Indian Army need for such a weapon system and some 100 examples are believed to be in operation as of this writing.

solution began with the Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli (OFT) teaming with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of New Delhi to produce a suitable replacement of indigenous origin.

Production of the Vidhwansak series formally began in February of 2007 and the weapon was officially delivered in October of 2008. Despite the limited procurement as of now, the Indian Army and other government defense groups have shown interest in the rifle system.

The rifle can be made to fire cartridges in the form of 12.7mm, 14,5mm and 20mm calibers which makes the Vidhwansak a very flexible tactical weapon system.

Weight of the Vidhwansak is listed at a manageable 55lbs with a length of 1,700mm and a barrel length of 1,100mm. The Vidhwansak is typically issued with a crew of two operators to help facilitate the weapon needs. An 8x42 Power adjustable telescopic sight is issued as standard. Muzzle velocity is rated at 3,411 feet per second. Effective range is out to 1,962 yards with a maximum range out to 2,180 yards.

The designation of Vidhwansak from the original Sanskrit translates to "The Destroyer".

 

[#hydra#]

Trust me,no matter how light could be the ofb weapon,IA not going to induct ofb gun.

 

[Michael Corleone]

anti material rifle from UK? which models any further details on this?