Ali.009
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2008
- Messages
- 965
- Reaction score
- -6
30% of Indian WW2 era grenades don’t explode-Insas rifle overheats
MUMBAI: One in three hand grenades used by Indian soldiers is a dud, while their rifles are no match for those of extremists, a newspaper report said on Monday.
The Times of India said 30 percent of grenades fail to blow up after being thrown by troops in combat situations, while those that do work take four seconds to explode – 1.5 seconds longer than those used by militants.
Indian soldiers normally carry four grenades in counter-insurgency operations, Colonel RSN Singh, from the Indian Defence Review, was quoted as saying. “Even a single dud can prove disastrous as it would leave the soldier vulnerable,” he added. The criticism comes after deadly attacks in Mumbai last year left 166 people dead, an incident that highlighted the out-of-date and ineffective weaponry used by police in the country’s financial capital. Officers initially tried to take on heavily-armed militants using bamboo sticks, revolvers and British colonial-era bolt-action rifles until commandos arrived.
India has WW2 vintage grenades. 1 out of 3 don't work--Times of India report Sept 2009
Retired army colonel US Rathore said Indian soldiers still used hand grenades dating back to World War II and suggested their malfunction could be due to chemical degradation. The newspaper, which based its report on unnamed military and defence sources, said soldiers had also complained about the Indian Army’s standard issue Insas assault rifle. “The barrel overheats with continuous firing,” one source told The Times. “Oil spillage while firing is also a major trouble.” The rifle’s lack of a rapid-fire feature also fails to match up to the extremists’ weapon of choice, the Russian-made AK-47, the report said. afp. One in three Indian hand grenades a dud: Times of India
Indian rifle called Insas is a dud: Times of India report Sept 2009
The INSAS is a family of weapons consisting of an assault rifle, a light machine gun (LMG), and a carbine. A folding butt Paratroop version of the assault rifle also exists. INSAS has been in development since the mid-1980s under the auspices of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Armaments Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune. Of the three weapons types, the assault rifle and LMG have already entered service with the Army. The INSAS assault rifle provides a much awaited replacement for the cumbersome 7.62 mm Ishapore FN FAL. In line with the Indian Army’s standardization plans, the INSAS also allows the Army to begin replacement all rifles presently in service. INSAS introduction was delayed due to the lack of an an indigenous facility to produce the needed 5.56X45mm SS109-based ammunition. Though this round is based on the SS109, it is not NATO standard, as it is intended to provide a long range firing capability. The approach now appears to be induct INSAS with NATO standard ammunition while production gears up for the local round. In the meantime 50 million Indian Standard rounds (with options on a further 50 million) rounds were ordered from Israel Military Industries in 1997. The INSAS appears to have entered full service with the Indian Army during late 1997. It was significant that the 1998 Republic Day parade for the first time featured all marching contingents with the INSAS. In 1997-1998 production for the assault rifle stood at 90,000 units
