India Army to Replace Ageing Weapons, Finalises Rs 40,000 Crore Procurement Plan

 Indian Army has finalised a plan to replace the ageing weapons at a cost of nearly Rs 40,000 crore. Army’s has chalked out a broad plan to acquire 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines. Also, the Defence Minister and Army are on the same page as far as procurement is concerned.

It has been a while since Army has been pressing for procurement of various weapons systems considering the security threats evolving along India’s borders with China and Pakistan. Apart from taking this project forward, the government has asked Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to speed up its work on various small arms, particularly on an LMG.

As per the sources, a fresh  RFI (request for information) to procure the LMGs will be issued in the next few days, months after the defence ministry scrapped the tender for the 7.62 calibre guns as there was only one vendor left after a series of field trials. The plan is to initially procure around 10,000 LMGs.

 

Also, the Army has finalised the specifications for a new 7.62 mm assault rifle and the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement, is expected to give a green signal soon on this.

A senior official who is part of the acquisition process told PTI that: ” General Service Quality Requirements (GSQR) for the new assault rifle has been finalised and the procurement plan will soon be presented to DAC for approval,

In June, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests. The procurement of assault rifles was delayed due to many reasons including the Army’s failure to finalise the specifications for it. The Army needs around 7 lakh 7.62×51 mm assault guns to replace its INSAS rifles.

The Army had issued RFI for the rifles in September last year and around 20 firms responded to it. An RFI is a process whose purpose is to collect information about capabilities of various vendors.

In June, the Army had kick-started the initial process to procure around 44,600 carbines, nearly eight months after a tender for it was retracted, also due to single-vendor situation. Around half a dozen firms including a few global arms manufacturers have responded to the RFI.

Army sources said various specifications for the LMGs and battle carbines were tweaked to ensure that the problem of single vendor does not recur.

The combined cost of the LMGs, assault rifles and carbines will be in excess of Rs 40,000 crore, said an official.

On DRDO missing a number of deadlines in finalising the LMG, an official said the defence secretary has called a meeting this week of all stakeholders to discuss the project.

“The infantry modernisation plan is a major initiative of the Army and it will significantly bolster the overall capability of the foot soldiers,” said a senior army official.

The issue was extensively discussed at the recently- concluded Army Commanders conference which felt modernisation of the Army must be in tune with the evolving security threat facing the country.