The Importance of Personal Weapons

R.C. Sharma

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) comprising Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have a plethora of small arms in their inventory. Small arms have to inspire confidence in the holder for their accuracy, range and ease of carrying and handling. They should be usable in all weather and terrain conditions with minimum repair and maintenance needs.

The CAPFs need to do an in-depth analysis of prospective qualitative requirements (QRs) for introducing a small arm or personnel weapon system considering the security environment, which is dynamic in terms of both threat perception and technology. Consequently, the training and tactics of the CAPFs needs to be dynamic too. Unfortunately, small arms are introduced without preparation of detailed qualitative requirements considering role and task, all India service liability, terrain and weather conditions, ease of carrying and handling, range and accuracy, wear and tear, ballistics and repair infrastructure in terms of availability of spares. This is the reason all CAPFs hold identical inventory of small arms with minor variations. These deficiencies compel them to frequently procure new line of small arms, which impacts training, operational effectiveness, and creation of infrastructure for spares and ammunition.

The Current Inventory

The existing arming policy is not in consonance with operational and administrative requirements. The CAPF soldier is one of the stabilising factors in India’s external and internal security environment and need best available weapon. Yet, the CAPFs are provided small arms inventory without manpower authorisation. Inventory is an indication that procurement of small arms for CAPFs is on ad hoc basis without analysing operational and administrative needs.

A CISF personnel on duty holding his personal weapon

Saddling the CAPFs with varying inventory without compatible manpower authorisation amounts to un