Serious Shortfall

Jaison Deepak

The never-ending saga of the Indian Army’s small arms procurement has no relief in sight any time soon. The army has not been able to induct any new type of standard issue firearm for the past two decades. The last major procurement was the INSAS family of rifle and Light Machine Gun (LMG) which are also due for replacement, although the issues with the system seem to have been fixed, even though the bulkiness, questionable lethality and persisting hangover of past problems dog its continued use.

CRPF soldiers with INSAS rifles

The army continues to use the venerable but trusted AK-47/AKM variants and the timeless Bren LMG in counter-insurgency. The 9mm carbine, although cheap and easy to make, is relatively unsafe, it has no single shot capability and lacks the lethality to penetrate modern body armour even at close ranges. Casualties due to cross-border sniper fire from modern snipers are mounting on the Indian side while the army has to do with the older SVD which is more of a semi-automatic marksman rifle lacking a bolt action mechanism, floating barrel or bipods/tripods required for more accurate fire.

Transformational Small Arms Plans

The Indian Army is set to overhaul its entire small arms stock from rifles, carbines, LMGs to sniper rifles. The Indian Army is desirous of procuring 700,000 7.62X51mm assault rifles as the standard firearm to replace the INSAS rifles; 44,000 Light Machine Guns Chambering 7.62X51mm to replace INSAS LMG; 44,600 5.56X45mm Close Quarter Battle (CQB) carbines to replace the 9mm carbines; 5,000 Sniper rifles chambered .338 Lapua Magnum — this more on