New Delhi: A substantial stock of 72,400 assault rifles, 93, 895 carbines and an unspecified numbers of pistols and sniper guns are on the shopping list of a 11-member team from the defence ministry and the military, led by a Brigadier, that left on Saturday on an almost month-long shopping spree to United States, Israel, Australia, South Korea and UAE.
Of the assault rifles, 2,000 are for the Navy, 4,000 for the IAF, with the rest for the Army. About 1,200 carbines are for the Navy, 3,400 for the IAF and the rest for the Army.
“The team will first select and shortlist the weapons which will be then brought to India. Here they will be test-fired under all conditions as well as tested for compatibility. The tendering will take place after these weapons are cleared after evaluation,” an official source told this newspaper.
Besides two Brigadiers, the team comprises defence ministry officials, officials from the Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Corps, and the infantry.
According to sources, the basic operational requirement for the rifle is a range of 500 metres and a weight of 4 kg while that of the carbine is a range of 200 metres and a weight of 3 kg.
The entire consignment is to be supplied within a year of signing of the contract.
These numbers are to be procured through the Fast Track Procurement (FTP process) in order to cater to the immediate operational requirement for the soldiers including those deployed on the borders. The Indian military is trying to replace its much-vilified INSAS rifles and the 9mm carbines across its forces .
As thing stand now, the total small arms requirement for the three forces, is a huge 7,40,000 assault rifles, 3,50,000 close quarter battle carbines and more than 5,700 high-precision sniper rifles.
