Small Arms & Tactical Equipment

I suppose the Army really likes the FAB Defence modified AKs they have in use. Until now the FAB modification kits were acquired by unit commanders using their own independent budgets not by the MoD's budget. However now with the Army issuing a RFI this will be a larger order, probably for kit standardization. @Parthu your thoughts ?

Army to modify AK-47 to counter new terror tactics

By Vijay Mohan, Tribune News Service, Chandigarh, June 30
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Even as the process to re-equip soldiers with a new contemporary assault rifle drags on, the Army is moving to modify the AK-47 rifles in its inventory with new accessories to meet its emerging operational requirements.

A process has been initiated for acquiring “weapon speciality kits” that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required.

“Due to change in scenario and change in tactics being adopted by terrorists, there is a need to modify the AK-47 with arrangements to mount night sight, holographic sight, flash light and laser beam for early engagement of targets and to increase operational efficiency of troops,” states a request for information (RFI) floated by the Amy this week.

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While the indigenous INSAS rifle is the Army’s standard weapon, units deployed for counter-terrorism or other specialist tasks are equipped with different versions of the AK-47 for providing greater fire power that is needed for such operations. The Army wants to replace the INSAS which has not only become obsolete but is also prone to glitches.

The weapon specialty kit comprises parts which can replace the existing parts of Rifle AK-47, thereby enhancing the utility of the weapon and at the same time make the firer comfortable and increase the chances of align engagement, the RFI adds.

The items will not require any tool to fix on to the rifle and the exercise can be undertaken in field conditions during operations without the need to refer to a workshop or a skilled technician.

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The Army’s desire to procure new assault rifles has been bogged down for years due to financial constraints and red tape, with some reports indicating that only the infantry and some other arms will get new rifles. In February, a deal was signed to procure 72,400 Swiss SIG-716 assault rifles. A deal with Russia is also in the works to procure 6,50,000 Kalashnikov AK-103/203 assault rifles.

Enhancing utility :

A process has been initiated for acquiring ‘weapon speciality kits’ that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required

Army to modify AK-47 to counter new terror tactics
 
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Gautam said:
I suppose the Army really likes the FAB Defence modified AKs they have in use. Until now the FAB modification kits were acquired by unit commanders using their own independent budgets not by the MoD's budget. However now with the Army issuing a RFI this will be a larger order, probably for kit standardization. @Parthu your thoughts ?

Army to modify AK-47 to counter new terror tactics

By Vijay Mohan, Tribune News Service, Chandigarh, June 30
View attachment 7960

Even as the process to re-equip soldiers with a new contemporary assault rifle drags on, the Army is moving to modify the AK-47 rifles in its inventory with new accessories to meet its emerging operational requirements.

A process has been initiated for acquiring “weapon speciality kits” that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required.

“Due to change in scenario and change in tactics being adopted by terrorists, there is a need to modify the AK-47 with arrangements to mount night sight, holographic sight, flash light and laser beam for early engagement of targets and to increase operational efficiency of troops,” states a request for information (RFI) floated by the Amy this week.

View attachment 7961

While the indigenous INSAS rifle is the Army’s standard weapon, units deployed for counter-terrorism or other specialist tasks are equipped with different versions of the AK-47 for providing greater fire power that is needed for such operations. The Army wants to replace the INSAS which has not only become obsolete but is also prone to glitches.

The weapon specialty kit comprises parts which can replace the existing parts of Rifle AK-47, thereby enhancing the utility of the weapon and at the same time make the firer comfortable and increase the chances of align engagement, the RFI adds.

The items will not require any tool to fix on to the rifle and the exercise can be undertaken in field conditions during operations without the need to refer to a workshop or a skilled technician.

View attachment 7962

The Army’s desire to procure new assault rifles has been bogged down for years due to financial constraints and red tape, with some reports indicating that only the infantry and some other arms will get new rifles. In February, a deal was signed to procure 72,400 Swiss SIG-716 assault rifles. A deal with Russia is also in the works to procure 6,50,000 Kalashnikov AK-103/203 assault rifles.

Enhancing utility :

A process has been initiated for acquiring ‘weapon speciality kits’ that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required

Army to modify AK-47 to counter new terror tactics
Click to expand...

Been waiting for this to happen. This is a clear indication that the importance placed on 'pimping out' the weapons has at least made it to the tables of the highest brass. This is a good sign - not just with regard to this one RFI, but for things to come as well. Going forward, these will be features expected of every single weapon system out of the box.

However I must say the RFI itself has come pretty late. Pretty much all the units in IA that wanted to upgrade AKs have already done so. My guess is, this proposal sat on someone's table for too long a while. And now deliveries of the AK-203 (which has all these features out of the box) is around the corner so by the time we can expect to be taking deliveries of kits bought under this RFI (say, in 2 years), we might as well be switching over to AK-203s completely.

Oh well, at least this procurement (if it manages to go through that is. Remember, very few RFIs actually convert into deals in any meaningful timeframe) would probably ensure there won't be any non-upgraded AKs left in stock when the time comes to hand them down to Police units or otherwise.
 
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Parthu said:
Been waiting for this to happen. This is a clear indication that the importance placed on 'pimping out' the weapons has at least made it to the tables of the highest brass. This is a good sign - not just with regard to this one RFI, but for things to come as well. Going forward, these will be features expected of every single weapon system out of the box.

However I must say the RFI itself has come pretty late. Pretty much all the units in IA that wanted to upgrade AKs have already done so. My guess is, this proposal sat on someone's table for too long a while. And now deliveries of the AK-203 (which has all these features out of the box) is around the corner so by the time we can expect to be taking deliveries of kits bought under this RFI (say, in 2 years), we might as well be switching over to AK-203s completely.

Oh well, at least this procurement (if it manages to go through that is. Remember, very few RFIs actually convert into deals in any meaningful timeframe) would probably ensure there won't be any non-upgraded AKs left in stock when the time comes to hand them down to Police units or otherwise.
Click to expand...
Anything on optics fir this and AK203, SIG716 @Parthu

does the SIG come with an optic( other than the 12000 ordered) or foregrip. AK-203?
 
Killbot said:
Anything on optics fir this and AK203, SIG716 @Parthu

does the SIG come with an optic( other than the 12000 ordered) or foregrip. AK-203?
Click to expand...

Other than the proposal for the mentioned 12,000 optics (which I believe are 4x magnifiers), there isn't any other RFI or deal in the works for any kind of day sight, in my knowledge. I believe the 12k magnifiers will go on the SIGs alone.

There is no official mention of any other peripheral kit for the SIGs (save for spare Magpul PMAGs, and possibly a set of Back-up Iron Sights per rifle) or AK-203s either. However, the Army (especially RR and LoC units) is already in possession of large quantities of aftermarket equipment like vertical and angled grips, custom pistol grips, etc. from likes of FAB Defense and TDI Arms (which were used to upgrade old AKs till now), and all that stuff can & will be used with the AK-203/SIG 716 as well thanks to universal Picatinny interface.

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T-FL-3D-Angled.jpg

Also various day/night sights, flashlights etc. which use P-rails are already there in IA armories (like Falke & Sightmark optics, BEL & Tonbo thermal imagers and so on), all these can & will go on AK-203 and/or SIG 716 as well.

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Is AK-15 a significant improvement over AK-203 which we're getting ?
(I know there is no point in discussing it now as AK-203 deal is done & dusted still wanted to get some clarity on this as Armenia signed a TOT deal for AK-12 & 15 before we went for AK-203 & Qatar has also inducted AK-12 that means Russia was willing to sell.)
 
Gujarat to set up 200 sq km firing range at Dholera SIR

Published July 12, 2019 | By admin SOURCE: THE HINDU
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The Gujarat government is working on the Indian Army’s request, to set up a large 200-square kilometers of multi-weapon firing range, at Dholera Smart City – about 100 kilometers from Ahmedabad.

Jai Prakash Shivahare, Managing Director of Dholera Industrial City Development Ltd (DICDL) stated that the said firing range will be built at Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) on a land area of about 200 square kilometres (sq km). The range will primarily be used by Indian Army and Indian Air Force, but will also be open for private players for testing their defence products.

“The Indian Army has been looking for a firing range. Also, we have received inquiries from defence manufacturing players such as Baba Kalyani Group for the same. Based on their requirement for a firing range with 25 kilometers length and five kilometers width, we have identified a land area in Dholera SIR,” Shivahare said here on the sidelines of the second Gujarat Aviation Conclave 2019 organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday.

He said that once the firing range is operational, it would help attract other defence manufacturing investments in the Dholera region. The project has received an in-principle approval from the concerned authorities including the state government.

The identified land for the firing range includes government-owned land as well as some private land too. “We will compensate the private owners for the acquisition of the land.

The firing range will be close to the coastline in the Gulf of Cambay,” he commented. According to Shivahare, there are currently only a few firing ranges available in the country to test the defence products.

These include Devlali near Nashik in Maharashtra, Pokhran in Rajasthan, Balasore in Odisha, Trichy in Tamil Nadu, Ichchapore in West Bengal among others for testing various categories of weapons and ammunition.

Initially, the Government was considering two sites – Kutch and Dholera – for the firing range. But eventually, the authorities had selected Dholera.

Gujarat to set up 200 sq km firing range at Dholera SIR – Indian Defence Research Wing .
 
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I knew this would happen, everybody knew this will happen.

Indian MoD scraps RFP for sniper rifles

Published July 11, 2019 | By admin SOURCE: Jane’s Defence Weekly
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India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to scrap its September 2018 request for proposal (RFP) to foreign manufacturers for 5,719 8.6 mm sniper rifles and 10.2 million rounds of ammunition for the Indian Army (IA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Official sources told Jane’s on 10 July that the RFP was withdrawn in late June after bids submitted in February by four vendors had failed to meet the tender’s qualitative requirements concerning the supply of .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition rounds.The four bidders included Indonesia’s PT Pindad, Rosoboronexport from Russia and US firms Barrett and MSA Global.

Brigadier Rahul Bhonsle (retd), the director of Security Risks Asia – a New Delhi-based defence management consultancy – criticised the RFP, saying that it had been “badly conceived, particularly with regard to the ammunition component, leaving the MoD no choice but to withdraw it”.

Indian MoD scraps RFP for sniper rifles – Indian Defence Research Wing .
 
Oh look another plate carrier.:cautious:
We went from having no lightweight plate carriers around the early 2000s to having too many of them in less than a decade.
Standardise, please.
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