Hunt on for new generation assault rifles; Excalibur not a replacement

Hunt on for new generation assault rifles; Excalibur not a replacement

     When it comes to the Army, a modern, reliable assault rifle is the very basic - the primary weapon of an infantry soldier posted either on the border or deployed for counter militancy missions in the hinterland.

    However, despite a four year process to select a new generation rifle to replace the glitch prone Indian made INSAS, the Army is still not close to a viable option, with a new desi weapon being pushed by DRDO getting mixed reviews during ongoing user trials.

   With the INSAS rifle - developed by DRDO and introduced in service in 1996 - not adequately meeting its requirements, the Army started the search for a new basic weapon in 2011. The contract was cancelled earlier this year - contenders failed to meet the stringent requirements - and a new variant of the INSAS, called the Excalibur, was fielded by DRDO.

    The new rifle is being tested presently by the Army at two locations, with trials now at the final stage and results expected by February. However, several officials that ET spoke with say that the results till now have been mixed, with one team finding the rifle inadequate and the other seeing it as an improvement over the INSAS.

  While the final results will take a few more weeks to come in, Army officials say that while the Excalibur would be an improvement over the INSAS, it would at best be a replacement rifle. "The Excalibur is an upgraded version of the INSAS, it is not a new rifle but the older weapon has been given additional features," a senior Army officer said.

    But on the Army's parameters for a futuristic assault rifle, the Excalibur fails to make the cut. "It is at best a replacement for the INSAS rifles in service but for a future weapon, the rifle simply does not have the technical qualities," another officer told ET.

    The Army is in urgent need to get a replacement for the INSAS but is also keen to get a world class  product. Army officials have told ET that the ideal process would involve a fair competition in which the Excalibur also takes part to determine the best weapon systems suited for the Indian combat environment.

Article first published in Economic Times

AK 12 to Replace INSAS : Who is Behind the Lobby

AK 12 to Replace INSAS : Who is Behind the Lobby

     There is a big lobby trying to pitch the modern Russian Assault Rifle AK 12 to replace the INSAS from the Indian Army, even they don't knows whats the truth behind the AK 12's current Status. The Lobby in India is trying to kill almost all indigenous products and tries to keep the import and relies the foreign supplier for internal security issues and war. It's earlier the Russians offered the BMP 3 armored infantry fighting vehicle, If the early government accepts the offer of Russian BMP 3  then we don't see the TATA Kestrel, the same goes to Swedish Gripen, They tried as much as it can by forcing the government to drop the LCA and adopt the Gripen for Light Combat Aircraft. Same goes for the Russian Armanta T 14 too, Who pitching against the Indigenous Future Ready Combat Vehicle. Last but not least now they tries to force down the MCIWS and adopt the Russian standard AK 12, A new assault Rifle based on the AK 74.

    Under the Indian Army Modernization program, The Army plans to replace all the older INSAS Assault Rifle with modern light weight Assault Rifle which can fire both small and larger size bullet, so India went for a indigenous options to develop a rifle on it's own. Which is intended to be based on the older INSAS characteristics. INSAS can fire single and three round burst, where it will not fire in full automatic mode. So OFB plans to develop a fully Automatic INSAS rifle and Succeeded in the effort, They named it as INSAS Excalibur. However still it can fires only 5.56mm rounds, Which is used better accuracy in long ranges.So Army need to hit the enemy in the head or Heart to get precision kill score, The 5.56x45mm will not penetrate infantry Helmets and Bullet proof Jackets. On the other side much powerful 7.62x39 mm bullets is lesser in range but gives more precision. which can penetrate infantry Helmets and Jackets, even one or two bullets hits anywhere in the Body makes the enemy became dead because of the wounds.

     In next generation scout, a squad consists of LMG, Sniper and Assault Rifles, which can fire both small and larger caliber rounds, That's why OFB planned to develop a gun system to fire both small and larger rounds bullets by changing the gun barrel only. Means the infantry needs to carry two barrels and he can quickly switch his mode into Conventional to Counter terrorism, However the status of the MCIWS- Multi Caliber Infantry Weapon System is currently in development mode, some prototypes already produced and they were in trails for evaluation and further improvements, Once army Satisfies the MCIWS's performance. then Army will put those assault rifles in extensive trails before supplying to the Regular forces. Earlier India tries to import some 60,000 of carbines from Foreign, However all the rifles who bid were failed in the Army trails. Which makes the ministry closes the tender and develop our own Rifle to work in all tough scenarios across the country.

    The Russians also planned to replace their infantry's basic assault rifle into newer generation Rifle system, the Kalashnikov company who introduced the AK 47 Rifle wins the tender and soon will supply the latest  generation AK 12 and AK 103 , which can fire both small and larger caliber rounds by changing the Barrels,  currently the Russian Ground forces uses the AK 47, AKM and AK 74 Assault Rifles, However most of the Russian Special forces uses the AKM or the AK 74, compared to AK 74 the AK 12, the outer look only changed, to house modern target sight systems like Red dot sight and Scopes, The known details said AK 12's operational characteristics are same like AK 74M.

    Compared to the AK 74 the new rifle costs more, due to the usage of modern materials to reduce the weight of the Rifle. Russians plans to use the Rifle with their Army's special forces unit, means only some fifty to seventy thousand of  Russian Soldiers will receive the AK 12. Others get replacement only after 2025 or later. The Russian officials accepted the AK 12 last year, means full rate production will be achieved only after 2017.    

    So it's clearly if India looks for an Alternate it took another five years, and the Rifle will be handed to Soldier only after 2022. In comparison with AK 12 and MCWIS is almost same, and its developed to sustain tough Indian conditions,  unlike the AK 12 designed to stand in Russian scenario's. also the MCIWS provide self sufficient and can be modified whatever the Soldier's requesting, However the same will not allowed in imported items.The Russians told early they have eyes of huge market of the new Rifle same like the AK 47.

So it's a message to the lobby man that India will stick with the MCIWS.

Army Plans to replace the INSAS rifle to Excalibur and MCIWS

Army Plans to replace the INSAS rifle to Excalibur and MCIWS

        After scrapping the billion dollar Rifle procurement, The Indian Army Plans to adopt OFB made Excalibur and MCIWS Rifles, both were different in it's kind, while the Replacement Starts within a year first phase will be the improved INSAS Excalibur, later a modified Excalibur which can fire 7.62x39mm rounds, the MCIWS can fire both 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm rounds by changing the barrels.

        The Army earlier announced to buy some million piece of CQB carbines, which were compact, low weight easily switchable Barrels, and some advanced optics for Pin point Aiming, basically they were used in Closed battle scenario's like encounter and door to door operations, as most Special forces already has some good numbers of M4 and TAR 21 Carbines, here most Carbines uses the 5.56x45mm rounds, which is mainly used for Long range but less effective due to low size, but very good in Close battles because of burst or Automatic fire.

    Here mostly Terrorists uses many variants of AK 47's, who houses the deadly more powerful 7.62x39 mm bullets, makes more powerful and also has armor piercing capability,  that's why most combats Soldiers die because of wounds, those bullets almost destroy the target because of the size, also it's effective in smaller area's, simply Bigger size can strike with more power and smaller size has increased range vice versa, so here the new CQB deal not so much interesting, since we need a good marksman along with some Heavy round Rifles, that's why still many Army guys loves the AK series Rifles,

        The Army Takes a good decision by replacing those old platforms with new Excalibur Rifles, which is same but it has some difference from it's mother INSAS.

      The Excalibur is nearly 500 grams lesser than the INSAS, makes similar weights to the American M4, the barrel length also shorten to 16 inches makes the Rifle less weight and length, makes it good to carry and fire easily. these characteristics makes the Excalibur good for ighting in close quarter battles. the Excalibur bitter smaller than the AK 47 and AKM rifles also bit longer compared to the TAR 21 Rifle.

        The Excalibur can hold 22 bullets in it's chamber, as 5.56x45mm bullets, which can fire single, 3 round burst and Fully automatic mode, earlier the INSAS had only single and three round burst modes only, the Excalibur has a good fore grip to hold the rifle and for steady shots, also the rails above the Rifle can house multiple attachments like Night vision Thermal, marksman scope and Red dot sights, amkes the rifle can adopt NATO standard attachments very easily.

       The OFB also plans to makes or already made a Version of Excalibur which can fire 7.62x39mm rounds, which is also can be shuffled with the Forces. actually it can solve most logistic and service issues. because of the single model rifle, we have couple models for Army Regular operations, where soldiers can hold different kind of Chambers and bullets, and after induction of Excalibur in full force this might be solved where only three models of bullets needed, for Regular Warfare in open scenario 5.56x54mm and for Close battles 7.62x39mm and for marksman or dedicated snipers it's .339 lapua magnum, only three variants.

       The another one is the MCIWS ( Multi Caliber infantry weapon System ) means a Single rifle can fire both 5.56x54mm and  7.62x39mm rounds by changing the Rifle barrels and Bullets only, the Rifle is in Advanced stage of Building which was the Last known Information, but no updated info about the current status, The Army also plans to shuffle MCIWS in the Forces later once it ready for induction.