Last Updated: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - 19:29
0
Shares
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Comment
No proposal to replace INSAS rifles for central forces: Minister | Zee News
New Delhi: The home ministry on Wednesday said there was no proposal to replace all INSAS rifles given to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), adding that weapons of different calibres were provided and all weapons had their own utility.
"No proposal for the replacement of all INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles given to our forces is under consideration of the government at present," Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
"However,
weapons like assault rifles (7.62 x 39 mm), sniper rifles, X-95 assault rifles, Glock pistols, MP-5 sub-machine guns and carbines have been provided to CAPFs," he said.
He said
67,117 additional assault rifles (7.62 x 39 mm) have also been authorised for CRPF battalions deployed in Left extremism-hit areas and Jammu and Kashmir as replacement for the 5.56 mm INSAS rifles.
"Different weapons have their unique features and strengths," the minister said.
"Modernisation of weapons to security forces is a continuous process as per operational requirement of the security force concerned, " Chaudhary said.
IANS
INSAS rifles have been regularly improved: Centre to HC | Zee News
New Delhi: The
Delhi High Court was on Wednesday told that improvements have been made regularly to INSAS rifles based on users feedback, availability of better technology and need of the armed forces.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was informed by Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain that the issue of replacing of INSAS rifles with modern firearms in active service in military and the paramilitary have been considered in consultation with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) besides the designing agency.
"The 5.56 mm INSAS rifles were inducted into services in 1992-93 after extensive user trials. Performance of these weapons was validated in different terrains as well as different weather conditions before induction into service..."
"As such, improvements have been made regularly to INSAS rifles based on users feedback, availability of better technology and need of the armed forces," the Centre said.
Jain, assisted by central government standing counsel Jasmeet Singh, also refuted the allegation made in the PIL that several jawans of BSF were killed in an ambush in Dantewara district, Chhattisgarh, due to
indigenously-made defective INSAS (an abbreviation of Indian Small System) led to the loss of lives.
"...None of the court of inquiries, conducted in the recent Naxal strike in Dantewara district, Chhattisgarh, has blamed INSAS rifles for the death of soldiers," they said.
The Centre's response came on PIL, filed by Lt Col (retd) Deepak Malhotra who has alleged that because of "bureaucratic red tape" soldiers are made to use "clearly inferior weapon" at the "risk of losing their lives". The Centre also informed the court that the Ministry is in process of procuring assault rifle through global route with transfer technology to Ordnance Factory Board.
"As such, the reply did not mention that the weapon was outdated or defective. The endeavour on the part of the government for ensuring availability of latest and modern weapons to its forces should not be construed in terms of the present weapon being held as defective," it added.
Taking note of the Centre's submission, the court asked the petitioner's counsel to take instruction whether the petition can be closed as the issues has been considered by the government. To which, the counsel sought time to take instruction.
The court has fixed the matter for August 20.
Besides seeking a direction to the MoD to withdraw INSAS rifles from active service and replace with suitable modern firearm in a time-bound manner, the petition has also urged the high court to issue directions to the MoD to produce the records pertaining to the long-pending decision to replace "defective" INSAS rifles.
"This is a case of typical bureaucratic red tapism which has repeatedly resulted in death and injury to the brave jawans of the Indian Army and paramilitary services," the PIL has said, adding that despite knowing for several years that INSAS rifles are of defective design and metallurgy, the bureaucratic system has delayed their replacement.
The INSAS is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG).
The petition has claimed that the "elite army units" have rejected INSAS and said that plans to replace them are pending in the desks of the Ministries of Home and Defence.
PTI
INSAS rifles not to blame for soldiers'' deaths: Defence ministry | Zee News
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday refuted in the Delhi High Court that
INSAS (Indian small arms system) rifles were to blame for the death of soldiers in
Naxal strikes in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
The ministry of defence (MoD) told a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath that "none of the court of inquiries conducted in the aftermath of the attacks blamed the indigenous rifles".
Submitting a document before the bench, the ministry said INSAS rifles cannot be compared with other categories of weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles as both weapons had different features and were effective in different roles.
"The forces always use a combination of different weapons to meet the requirements in different theatres...it is precisely the reason that the elite forces like the National Security Guard are not using INSAS because their requirements are different from that of the army or other forces," said the document.
It added that the 5.56 mm INSAS rifles were inducted into service in 1992-93 after extensive user trials and had undergone three cycles of upgradation.
The response of MoD was filed in response to a PIL filed by Lt. Colonel Deepak Malhotra (retd), who alleged that the government delayed the replacement of "these unreliable assault rifles" despite knowing for several years that they were of a "defective design and metallurgy".
Questioning the effectiveness of the INSAS assault rifles, the PIL sought directions to the government to equip the soldiers of paramilitary forces - involved in counter- insurgency operations - with better rifles in a time-bound manner.
The defence ministry in 2012 replied in the Rajya Sabha that considering the technological developments, the plan was to replace the INSAS rifles with new assault rifles, the MoD said.
"Therefore, the ministry is in the process of procuring assault rifles through global route with the transfer of technology to Ordnance Factory Board. As such, the reply (in the Rajya Sabha) did not mention that the weapon was outdated or defective," the ministry added.
IANS
