News Report: India’s Home-Made Howitzer Creates World Record in User Trial

India's new ATAGS artillery gun during early test firing

Apart from its capability to fire ammunition at almost 48 kilometers, India’s locally developed ATAGS is the world’s only gun with a six-round “automated magazine” that fires a six-round burst in just 30 seconds.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s locally manufactured advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) has created a record in ammunition firing during a user trial conducted at Pokhran in the western state of Rajasthan. The 155-millimeter 52-calibre howitzer fired three shells out to a record distance of approximately 47.2 kilometers in comparison to 40-45 kilometer by other such systems currently operational in the world.

Defense sources told Sputnik that this is, perhaps, the longest distance covered by an artillery gun system. “The system fired three shells at more than 47 kilometers using special, long-range ammunition called high explosive base bleed in Pokhran,” defense sources told to Sputnik.

News Story: Afghan army kills 101 insurgents, defuses 63 improvised bombs in 24 hrs - gov't

KABUL, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Some 101 militants were killed and 41 others wounded during a series of operations in 18 of 34 Afghan provinces within the last 24 hours, the Afghan military said Thursday.

"Afghan National Army in coordination with police and intelligence service personnel launched 17 clean up operations, 16 special operations and one night raid operation since early yesterday, killing 101 militants, injuring 41 and detaining one," the Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India’s auditing agency cites continued ammunition shortage crisis

M-777 Howitzer and ammunition (Unrelated File Photo)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India is facing a severe shortage of ammunition, with 40 percent of the types of ammo in the armed forces’ inventory able to only last fewer than 10 days, according to a report by India’s autonomous audit agency, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Military officials here are saying in private that defense forces are concerned about the ammunition shortage because of the threat from China and Pakistan.

“War is best avoided till we are able to make up our deficiencies in which ammunition seems to be a major concern; till then we need to rely on diplomacy to ward off even a medium-intensity conflict,” said Rahul Bhonsle, a defense analyst and retired Indian Army brigadier.

According to the 176-page report, known as “Report No. 15 of 2017 (Defence Services),” the “availability of 55 per cent types of ammunitions was below MARL i.e. minimum inescapable requirement to be maintained for operational preparedness and 40 per cent types of ammunitions were in critical level having stock of less than 10 days.”

“Availability of high calibre ammunitions relating to AFVs (Tanks) and Artillery are in more alarming state. Moreover, in the absence of fuze, 83 per cent of these high calibre ammunitions presently held with Army were not in a state to be used in operation,” the report continued.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Manufacturer of India's home-made guns slams army for rejecting assault rifles

NEW DELHI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Manufacturer of India's home-made guns, the government-run ordnance factory board (OFB), has slammed the army for rejecting its assault rifle on grounds that it failed basic tests, a local television news channel NDTV said Tuesday.

According to NDTV, U Mukherjee, spokesperson of the gun manufacturer, said in a letter to the channel that the home-made assault rifle rejected by the army last month functioned flawlessly without any stoppages.

"A top army General fired the rifle during trials and it delivered like a dream," Mukherjee was quoted as having said.

Last month, the channel was the first to report that the Indian army had, after trials of the new 7.62mm x 51mm assault rifle, concluded that it failed basic tests including being too noisy and indiscreet for combat.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Privatizing arms manufacturing has India's federal workforce seeing red

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian government is contemplating major changes in the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board, which administers 42 armament and ammunition factories across the country, but the workforce is opposing the move. 

The government has already opened some noncore areas of weaponry to the private sector, including ammunition production, and now the plan is to identify some factories and tie up these with private-sector defense companies, thus breaking the monopoly of the Ordnance Factory Board, or OFB, a Ministry of Defence official said. 

The move could eventually lead to privatization of the OFB at a later date, say analysts. However, the workforce, numbering 90,000 in these 42 factories, is opposing the move. 

C Srikumar, general secretary of the All India Defence Employees Federation, told Defense New: "The government is trying to create a monopoly through private models. When price cannot be determined, it is better to have public monopoly as per market principles." 

With a turnover of over $2 billion, the 42 factories under the OFB produce arms, ammunition, artillery guns, tanks, combat vehicles and troop comfort items. Nearly 80 percent of the production goes to the Indian Army, six percent each to the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy and the remaining eight percent for paramilitary forces. 

Besides opening up products to the private sector, the government is also identifying weapon factories of OFB that can be corporatized resulting in a tie up with private sector defense companies, MoD official said.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India's home-made assault rifles fail basic test

NEW DELHI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- India's home-made assault rifles have failed basic trials, thus being rejected by the Indian Army, media reports said Thursday.

The 7.62 x51 mm indigenous assault rifles, which were made by state-owned Ordnance Factory Board and meant to replace AK-47s used by Indian armed forces, have many faults, including excessive recoil and excessive flash and sound signature, unnamed Army sources were quoted as saying.

"The weapon in its present form leaves much to be desired, is unsatisfactory and requires comprehensive design analysis," an Indian Army's internal assessment says, after a user trial was conducted at the Rifle Factory in the eastern state of West Bengal's Icchapore on June 13 and 14.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Indian Army hunts for new carbines

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Army has issued a global request for information procure 200,000 5.56mm close-quarter battle carbines at a cost of about $400 million under the Buy & Make India category. The total order is estimated to increase to 500,000 if the requirement of the domestic paramilitary forces is also taken into account.

Efforts to acquire the CQB carbines since 2008 have not yielded any result, and the carbines developed by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization, or DRDO, and the Ordnance Factory Board, or OFB, have not been accepted by the Indian Army, according to a senior Indian Ministry of Defence. 

The formal tender — expected to be issued in the next six months — will seek a transfer of technology for the carbines to be license produced in India under a partnership with domestic defense companies. 

Several overseas equipment manufacturers — including Beretta of Italy, FN FAL of Belgium, Heckler & Koch of Germany, Colt's Manufacturing Company of the United States, and Sig Sauer of Switzerland — are likely to tie up with Indian defense companies such as private sector firms Mahindra Defence, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge and Reliance Defence.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Indian Army to Induct 108 Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers Worth $2 Billion

Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)

The Indian defense ministry has planned to float a tender to purchase six regiments of homemade Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers for $2 billion. Each regiment will comprise three batteries of six Pinaka launchers mounted on Tatra trucks.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The tender is expected to be issued to firms by the next month while the acquisition order is expected to be placed within 18 months. Pinaka supplements the existing artillery gun at ranges beyond 30 km with quick reaction time and high rate of fire. Pinaka is developed by state-owned DRDO with private defense firms Tata Power SED and L&T.

Indian defense ministry had placed an order for two regiments i.e 36 systems last December. The Army intends to have 22 Pinaka regiments by 2026 including 12 regiments of Guided Pinaka. This is an advanced version of the Pinaka, wherein the firing range has been enhanced to 65+ km from the existing 38 km. India conducted two developmental tests of the 214-mm caliber Guided Pinaka earlier this year.

News Story: India floats repeat tender for homemade rocket launchers valued at $2B

A Pinaka Multi-Launch Rocket System

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — In a move aimed at becoming more self-sufficient with multi-barrel rocket launchers, the Indian Ministry of Defence has floated a big-ticket bid to buy six regiments of homemade Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers for $2 billion. The order for the acquisition is expected to be placed within 18 months.   

Last December, the ministry placed an order for two regiments — one regiment is 18 systems — totaling a $350 million order for the Pinaka rocket launchers. Industry sources say India is now contemplating exporting the Pinaka. 

The order will be split between the prime state-owned contractors Bharat Earth Movers Limited and the Ordnance Factories Board, or OFB, and private sector defense companies Larsen & Toubro and Tata Power SED. Under the contract, BEML will supply the vehicles for the rocket launchers; L&T and Tata Power SED will supply the launcher systems; and OFB will supply the rocket ammunition . 

L&T and Tata Power SED have designed and developed the Pinaka system with the Defence Research and Development Organization, or DRDO. The Indian Army currently operates two regiments of the Pinaka systems. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India, Israel forge partnership for small arms production

X95 assault rifle (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — Firearms manufacturer Israel Weapon Industries and India-based private sector firm Punj Lloyd have begun to jointly produce a variety of small arms from the Israeli company's product line, of which some are for use by Indian armed forces.

The new venture, named Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems, or PLR, was formally opened last week, and its expected to tap a solid chunk of India's small arms market estimated at more than $5 billion.

PLR is the first private manufacturer of small arms in India that produces equipment for both use by the Indian defense forces and for export. The joint venture has an equity holding in the ratio of 51:49 percent equity, with the majority stake going to Punj Lloyd. 

"The small arms plant will be manufacturing the [Tavor] carbine, [X95] assault rifle, [Galil] sniper rifle and [Negev] light machine gun ... and [PLR] became fully operational on 4 May 2017 itself," said Ashok Wadhawan, the president of manufacturing at Punj Lloyd. 

"We are targeting the supply of carbine, assault rifle, sniper rifle and light machine gun for armed forces, paramilitary forces and state police. We are also going to be targeting the requirement of sights for the weapon systems, which is vital for the accuracy of the weapons," he added. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Opens $3 Billion Ammo Tender for Private Sector to Curb Import Dependency

The Indian defense ministry has floated a tender for private ammunition makers in India to supply ammunition worth $3 billion to the armed forces over the next decade. Currently, 11 government-owned ordnance factories have a monopoly over the production of ammunitions.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Last year, the Indian government approved the private sector to produce ammunition as part of the Make in India program.

The defense ministry floated a tender from a domestic private manufacturer for the supply of a range of ammunition. The list includes 125mm armor-piercing types for T-90 & T-72, 40mm multiple grenade launcher/underbarrel grenade launcher ammo, 30mm ammunition used by armored infantry carrying vehicle, 122mm grad rockets for Pinaka series and bi-modular charge system.

Twenty-five Indian companies responded to the request issued by the ministry last November. Kalyani Group, Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd and Godrej & Boyce are among the companies that responded to the bid.

News Story: India to guarantee long-term ammo contracts to private sector

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India is seeking long-term deals with domestic private sector companies for a variety of ammunition at a cost of at least $3 billion over the next decade. The initiative aims to encourage capital investments by private sector companies in ammunition manufacturing facilities.

"Currently, India solely depends for ammunition needs largely on the state enterprise Ordnance Factory Board and imports from overseas. Yet there is critical shortage in some areas of ammunition," a senior Indian Ministry of Defence official said.

Early this month, the MoD floated a request for proposals aimed at private sector companies for the supply of 500,000 rounds of 30mm high-explosive grenades (VOG-17) for automatic grenade launchers under a 10-year contract. The RFP is part of a new MoD program known as "Manufacture Of Ammunition For Indian Army By Private Indian Industry." 

"Indigenous production of ammunition requires setting up of new manufacturing and testing facilities that are capital intensive. Notwithstanding the licenses issued for the same, the industry did not find it viable to put in investments without assured sourcing by MoD. It is for the first time that MoD is now assuring orders for 10 years with pre-committed quantities to enable industry to invest capital for setting up the required facilities," the MoD official said. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Navy seeks to replace Israeli Barak-1 air defense system

Barak-1 SAM (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India's Navy has launched a new program to buy short-range surface-to-air missile systems from overseas to replace its aging Israeli Barak-1 air defense systems. 

India has made a global request for information to purchase 10 SRSAM systems and 600 missiles at a cost of about $1.5 billion.

Once responses are received in the next two months, the Navy will issue a tender under the Make in India policy's global purchasing category after six months to acquire the SRSAM systems. Under the program, overseas defense companies would need to forge partnerships with domestic companies to carry out 30 percent offsets obligations and include indigenous technology in the SRSAM systems.

An Indian Navy official said the proposed SRSAM system should be capable of vertically launching Mach 3-class active seeker missiles that can provide 360-degree defense coverage to meet all naval air defense applications including the need to carry out multiple simultaneous engagements.

Each SRSAM system will have a command and control system, a fire control system, a command link radar and one launcher to carry between eight and 16 missiles depending upon the size of the warship. The system's is expected to be inducted within the next five years.

According to an Indian Navy official, the foreign companies expected to make a bid are European-wide MBDA; Thales of France; Saab of Sweden; KBP Tula of Russia; Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel; Raytheon of the United States; and Doosan Group and Samsung of South Korea. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: In Policy Reversal, Private Companies to Build Indian Howitzer

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — Reversing an earlier practice to give big-ticket orders only to state-owned companies, India's first homemade 155mm/52-caliber towed artillery gun, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), will be built jointly by private sector companies. 

"Initially an order of 114 guns worth $350 million will be given next year to the private companies," an Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) official said. 

The Indian Army has a requirement of more than 1,500 towed guns, and the production order could be worth more than $4.5 billion, a potential boost for domestic private defense businesses. 

The ATAGS is being developed by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in partnership with two private sector firms — Kalyani Group and Tata Power SED. 

"Two ATAGS prototypes have already been made and are under trials. MoD has already projected immediate requirement of 114 guns. The production can start within two years of order placement. With two partners having [their] own production line, [they] can meet the requirement faster," Bhupinder Yadav, a retired Indian Army major general and defense analyst, said. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Approves $45Mln Plan to Add Teeth to Elite Forces for Surgical Strikes

The limited availability of resources has diluted the combat capabilities of Indian Special Forces currently operating in different parts of the country. In anticipation of a limited war scenario, India has started modernizing its most elite forces.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — After much dilly-dallying, the Indian government has approved a purchase plan to equip its small unit of commandos specialized in carrying out operations deep within enemy territory. 

The $45 million purchase plan will include over 1,100 automatic assault rifles, 20 light machine guns, rocket launchers and more than a thousand of freefall parachutes. All these weapon systems will be procured under the fast track procedure.

According to sources, the Special Forces will be equipped with the latest version of Carl Gustaf rocket launchers that are much lighter than the current version. The new launchers will have intelligent-sighting system and programmable ammunition. Rocket launchers will be made in the Indian Ordnance factory and delivery may start next year.

India's Special Forces constitutes approximately 18,000 armed personnel including support staff which is almost equal or higher in number to those of special commandos of US, UK and Russia. It is said that India had gone in for rapid expansion of the Special Forces unnecessarily, resulted in massive dilution of combat potential of the forces. A total of 15 battalions have created a scenario where they forced to be operational with limited training, arms and equipment.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: Indian Commando Across Pakistan Border to Receive Lethal Weapon

Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle (Image: Wiki Commons)

Despite the lack of latest arms and equipment, India’s Special Forces have conducted two successful surgical strikes in Pakistan and Myanmar. India now wants to make them more lethal.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India's Special Forces will be getting more teeth as the Defense Acquisition Council's (DAC) December 23 meeting may approve the purchase of the latest assault rifles and lightweight long range machine guns equipped with night sights. The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) is India's highest decision making body for defense purchases and is headed by the Minister of Defense. The DAC may also approve the purchase of more M4 automatic rifles from the US.

The new equipment will be earmarked for the Special Forces that carried out `surgical strikes' across the Line of Control (the de facto border between India and Pakistan). According to the proposal, Special Forces will be equipped with sniper rifles and automatic general purpose machine guns along with approximately 1,000 personal automatic rifles. Apart from this, the purchase plan includes two dozen lightweight rocket launchers and 500 pistols. 

According to sources, the Special Forces will be equipped with latest version of Carl Gustaf rocket launchers that are much lighter than the current version. New launchers will have intelligent-sighting system and programmable ammunition. Rocket launchers will be made in the Indian Ordnance factory and delivery may start next year.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: India Approves $3.2 billion Purchase Plan to Boost Night Warfare of Armed Forces

India had lost 51 soldiers in militant attacks and cross-border firing since it conducted the "surgical strikes" on terrorist launch pads inside Pakistan. The Indian Army has sought a variety of night vision devices for its infantry to minimize similar losses in future.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – After inviting global manufacturers to supply night sights for LMGs and driver's night sight with fusion technology for T-90 tanks, the Indian Army is now beefing up the night fighting capabilities of its foot soldiers.

The army will place request for information (RFI) for the purchase of 15,000 night vision devices (NVDs) for rocket launchers, 5,000 NVDs for medium machine guns and more than 125,000 for other small handheld arms. Defense sources told Sputnik that the Indian Army will spend approximately $3.2 billion for the purchases. 

News Story: India Hunts Overseas for Sniper Rifles

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Army is hunting the global market to buy 5,000 sniper rifles, and preference will be given to the overseas vendor who agrees to manufacture the sniper rifles in India under a technology transfer, according to a senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) official. 

However, an executive of an overseas defense company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the requested number of 5,000 is too small an order for any overseas vendor to transfer technology. "In case the number increases, then many (overseas companies) could be interested," the executive added.

Last week, the Army sent a request for information (RFI) to overseas companies to elicit their interest in participating in the sniper rifle program. The solicitation was sent to Blaser Jagdwaffen GmbH of Germany; Steyr Mannlicher of Austria; SIG Sauer of Switzerland; Israel Weapon Industries of Israel; Kalashnikov Concern (Izhevsk Machinebuilding Plant) and KBP Instrument Design Bureau of Russia; Armalite and Barrett Firearms Manufacturing of the United States; and Nexter and PGM Précision of France.

The Army is seeking sniper rifles that fire 8.6mm bullets and have a higher caliber than its aging Russian Dragunov 7.62-caliber, 51mm rifles currently in operation. The new sniper rifles would replace the Dragunov rifles. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India Orders Homemade Rocket Launchers Despite Its Faulty Ammo

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered 36 homemade Pinaka Mark-1 multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL) at a cost of $490 million, despite complaints of problems related to its ammunition. 

Pinaka-1 was developed by state-run Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The additional order of two regiments (one regiment equals 18 launchers) was given last week to four different prime contractors: state-owned organizations Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), as well as private sector defense companies Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Tata Power SED. 

Under the contract, BEML will supply a variety of vehicles for the MBRL, while L&T and Tata Power will supply the launcher systems and OFB will supply an unspecified number of rockets. 

"Serious shortcomings have been noticed in the Pinaka-1 rockets as in a recent exercise; reports of the rockets exploding midair and at the firing port have been received. This indicates that the explosive used in the rockets may have been defective. This will put a question mark on the further production and induction unless the defects are overcome," said Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Army official and defense analyst. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India Allows Private Sector to Manufacture Ammo

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India has decided to reduce ammunition imports and instead procure all ammunition requirements from domestic sources. 

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) under its Make In India initiative is now encouraging the private sector to manufacture ammunition. Previously, only state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was permitted to produce ammunition and India’s private sector was only allowed to manufacture parts of ammunition such as the shell or fuse. 

A senior Indian Army official said of the new opportunity for the private sector: “It clearly shows that the Army’s requirements are not being totally met by the OFB and import is not an option anymore.” 

Under the new policy, the MoD is willing to provide long-term commitments and firm orders of multiple types of ammunition to private players, but only at competitive prices. 

“The Indian industry was denied participation in the manufacture of ammunition, as no industrial license was issued for filling process. Thus the monopoly stayed with OFB, whose lack of capacity restricted the demand of the services, gradually leading to deficiencies over the years. It was not that the industry does not have the capability to manufacture with transfer of technology, but they have not taken any concrete action to acquire technology in this regard till now,” a senior MoD official said. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews