In line with the government’s concentrate on `Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence, a fresh Request for Information (RFI) has been issued by the Indian Army for procuring 93,895 Close Quarter Carbines (CQB).
The RFIs issued earlier this month have been sent to quite a few providers which includes Colt (US), SiG Sauer (US), Beretta (Italy), Thales of France, Caracal (UAE) and Adani Defence. The RFIs for the CQBs to be procured below the Fast Track Procedure (FTP) have come 5 months immediately after the Ministry of Defence cancelled plans of procuring from Caracal of UAE.
TheSpuzz Online has been following the Caracal story from the time it was down chosen in 2018 as the lowest bidder in the FTP procurement for the Auto 816 carbine. The Indian Army is arranging to replace the 9 mm 1A1 `Sterling’ Carbine. The UAE based firm had completed all the laid down procedures to sign the contract final year. However, the deal was cancelled and the firm leadership had quite a few rounds of meetings with the Indian side and had also met with external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and the Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane when they had visited UAE in 2020.
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What is the Indian Army hunting for?
In the web page extended RfI, the Indian Army is hunting for the specifications as it was ahead of — chambered for the 5.56×45 mm cartridge. The procurement will be by means of FTP.
Should have Effective Range not significantly less than 200 metres Accuracy significantly less than equal to MoA Picatinny Rails: MIL Standard1913 compliant Weight should really not be more than 3.3 kg and this should really be minus the magazine and other accessories Reliability although filing 2000 rounds it should really not endure more than 3 `Class-1’ or `Class-II’ and no Class-III stoppages. Morst importantly it should really be capable to operate in Minus 20 Degrees Celsius to plus 45 Degrees Celsius.
Why was the acquisition from Caracal shelved?
Last year in September the selection was taken by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, who heads the Defence Procurement Board (DPB). And the causes cited integrated: more high-priced than the SiG 716 Assault Rifles India had procured from the US and lack of indigenous content in the CQB from UAE.
Following the cancellation, the UAE based firm had announced its plans to manufacture the CQBs in India with Indian elements.
: Indian Army to get `Made in India’ carbines made by DRDO
Made in India solutions on supply to the Indian Army
As has been reported earlier, carbines made by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had in December final year cleared the final phase of trials for the Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC).
The 5.56×30 Protective Carbine is a gas operated Semi Bull-pup automatic weapon and comes with more than 700 rpm price of fire.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence stated that in the course of trials all the GSQR parameters have been met with. And the trials have been carried out in intense temperatures which includes summer time and higher altitudes in the course of winter.
The DRDO produced Protective Carbine comes with a Range of more than one hundred m, and weighs about 3. kg. And it has attributes like — higher reliability, single hand firing capability, low recoil, retractable Butt, ergonomic design and style and several Picatinny rails and so on.
The DRDO Carbine has been made based on the Indian Army’s GSQR by one of its labs Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), based in Pune.
While this will be manufactured at the Smalls Arms Factory in Kanpur to fulfil orders for the Para Military forces, the ammunition for this will be manufactured at ammunition Factory, Kirkee Pune.
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Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) as well has presented CQB to the Indian Army
In 2017, the OFB had failed to provide a carbine to the Indian Army, and this led to the selection of importing these carbines by means of FTP route. However, in 2020, the Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI), below OFB has decided to jump in the race to make these in India.
: OFB delivers its Close Quarter Carbines for the Indian Army
Located on the outskirts of Kolkata, the RFI has created an sophisticated 5.56 mmx45 mm carbine. This carbine is undergoing evaluation.