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India takes another shot at desi AK-47 - The Times of India
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47 rifle, may not get a chance to complain now, even though an India ordnance factory (OF) has developed an AK-inspired gun for its forces. The OF now hopes its latest development will not infringe patent norms.
Early in 2000, an Indian ordnance factory had developed a replica of the AK-47, and put it on display at a defence expo in New Delhi. The weapon caught the eye of none other than the original designer, Kalashnikov himself. He objected and threatened to file a copyright violation case against the government weapon maker, forcing plans for an Indian AK-47 to be put on hold.
Now, this popular weapon may soon have its Indian cousin. Not exactly the AK-47 of the Russian make, it is claimed to be as effective. The weapon developed by Tiruchirapalli Ordnance Factory in Tamil Nadu, is undergoing final rounds of evaluation by an internal team. After this, it is planned to be offered to the paramilitary forces for use in anti-Maoist operations, said a source.
Sources also said that the paramilitary would be the preferred client initially, as it is a long-drawn affair to get approvals from army for a new weapon.
This time, the technology has been tweaked to ensure no question of copyright violation arises. The Indian gun is based on a system of 'tilting breech block' as against the 'rotating breech block' in the AK-47. In layman's terms, the mechanism which performs one of the key functions during the firing action, will undergo a tilting movement as against rotation in the original AK-47.
The travel length for the bullet to come out of the barrel has also been reduced, which again makes it distinct from the AK which Kalashnikov designed.
Not formally christened so far, the weapon is currently called the Tiruchirapalli Assault Rifle (TAR). A team of experts from other factories has been formed to assess the weapon, after which it would be offered to users. It is hoped that paramilitary forces may adopt it faster, since it would reduce their dependence on imports.
The TAR has an effective range of 400 meters and uses 7.62x36 mm bullets. It also has mechanism of firing a single shot at a time as well as multiple shots. This makes it almost like the AK-47, on the performance front. Rather, the TAR has the capacity to fire 800 bullets in an hour while the AK-47 can fire 700, sources said.
The AK-47s are currently imported in India from Russia as well as other East European countries which have manufacturing licence, China also makes its own version of the gun. The troops carrying the 5.56 INSAS, made by the ordnance factories, are not too happy with it. There have been complaints that the gun is made to injure rather than kill, making it ineffective in counter insurgency operations. Hence, AKs are preferred over the INSAS, which also does not have an automatic firing option.
After Jammu and Kashmir, troops in Maoist infested areas too have voiced their dissatisfaction with the INSAS.
However, there are apprehensions over how long it will be before the weapon is accepted by the army or other forces. A similar project of developing the 9mm carbine by the factory has faced inordinate delays.
Defence analyst major General GD Bakshi (retd) said it would be indeed welcome if an indigenous assault rifles is available, since the INSAS has proven to be a failure in counterinsurgency operations. However, the induction should be fast, if it really suits the requirement of forces, he said.
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47 rifle, may not get a chance to complain now, even though an India ordnance factory (OF) has developed an AK-inspired gun for its forces. The OF now hopes its latest development will not infringe patent norms.
Early in 2000, an Indian ordnance factory had developed a replica of the AK-47, and put it on display at a defence expo in New Delhi. The weapon caught the eye of none other than the original designer, Kalashnikov himself. He objected and threatened to file a copyright violation case against the government weapon maker, forcing plans for an Indian AK-47 to be put on hold.
Now, this popular weapon may soon have its Indian cousin. Not exactly the AK-47 of the Russian make, it is claimed to be as effective. The weapon developed by Tiruchirapalli Ordnance Factory in Tamil Nadu, is undergoing final rounds of evaluation by an internal team. After this, it is planned to be offered to the paramilitary forces for use in anti-Maoist operations, said a source.
Sources also said that the paramilitary would be the preferred client initially, as it is a long-drawn affair to get approvals from army for a new weapon.
This time, the technology has been tweaked to ensure no question of copyright violation arises. The Indian gun is based on a system of 'tilting breech block' as against the 'rotating breech block' in the AK-47. In layman's terms, the mechanism which performs one of the key functions during the firing action, will undergo a tilting movement as against rotation in the original AK-47.
The travel length for the bullet to come out of the barrel has also been reduced, which again makes it distinct from the AK which Kalashnikov designed.
Not formally christened so far, the weapon is currently called the Tiruchirapalli Assault Rifle (TAR). A team of experts from other factories has been formed to assess the weapon, after which it would be offered to users. It is hoped that paramilitary forces may adopt it faster, since it would reduce their dependence on imports.
The TAR has an effective range of 400 meters and uses 7.62x36 mm bullets. It also has mechanism of firing a single shot at a time as well as multiple shots. This makes it almost like the AK-47, on the performance front. Rather, the TAR has the capacity to fire 800 bullets in an hour while the AK-47 can fire 700, sources said.
The AK-47s are currently imported in India from Russia as well as other East European countries which have manufacturing licence, China also makes its own version of the gun. The troops carrying the 5.56 INSAS, made by the ordnance factories, are not too happy with it. There have been complaints that the gun is made to injure rather than kill, making it ineffective in counter insurgency operations. Hence, AKs are preferred over the INSAS, which also does not have an automatic firing option.
After Jammu and Kashmir, troops in Maoist infested areas too have voiced their dissatisfaction with the INSAS.
However, there are apprehensions over how long it will be before the weapon is accepted by the army or other forces. A similar project of developing the 9mm carbine by the factory has faced inordinate delays.
Defence analyst major General GD Bakshi (retd) said it would be indeed welcome if an indigenous assault rifles is available, since the INSAS has proven to be a failure in counterinsurgency operations. However, the induction should be fast, if it really suits the requirement of forces, he said.
