Indian Firearms

The Innovation

The Indian armed forces had been equipped with a copy of the Belgian FN FAL rifle since the 1950s. This copy was considered to be a distinct weapon, since its parts cannot be interchanged with either the metric or inch-pattern versions of the FAL.With the 7.62 mm semi-automatic rifle becoming obsolete in the 1980s, India began to develop new weapons, incorporating features from several contemporary rifle designs.

INSAS rifle

 Although largely based on the AKM, the INSAS has a number of differences, making it a unique weapon. The INSAS system was originally planned to have three component weapons: a standard rifle, a carbine, and a squad automatic rifle (LMG), all chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition. In 1997 the rifle and LMG were ready for mass production, and in 1998 the first Indian army units were observed armed with INSAS rifles for the Republic Day Parade. The INSAS rifle is based on the Kalashnikov AK-47 action with modifications. The basic gas-operated action (long stroke gas system, rotating bolt, and stamped steel receiver) is of the Kalashnikov pattern. The gas system is fitted with a manual gas regulator similar in design to that found on the FN FAL as well as a gas cutoff. The charging handle is positioned on the left side of the forearm; it is similar in position and design to the German HK G3 rifle.

The selector/safety switch is located on the left side of the receiver above the pistol grip, which allows single shots and three-round bursts. The rifle is fitted with a side-folding carrying handle, and either a solid or side-folding metal buttstock. Furniture is made of polymer with the stock using the butt-plate from Lee-Enfield rifles. Standard magazines are made from semi-translucent polymer and contain 20 rounds. Longer 30-round magazines of similar design are available for the INSAS LMG but can also be used in the rifle. The sights consist of a hooded front, mounted on top of the gas block, and a diopter rear, mounted on the receiver cover. The flash suppressor is shaped to accept NATO-standard rifle grenades. It can be fitted with an AKM-style multipurpose knife-bayonet.

The assault rifle version has semi-auto and 3-round burst modes much like the US M16A2. Derived from the INSAS weapon systems, the INSAS Excalibur Mark-I is ergonomically designed with a folding butt and can be fitted with 20 and 30-round magazines. It is also fitted with a Picatinny rail for mounting of opto-electronic devices. The latest variant of the INSAS has semi-automatic, 3 round bursts and full automatic fire modes.

An under-barrel grenade launcher and bayonet have been developed for the INSAS, which are also compatible with the AK-47s used by paramilitary forces.

 

Variants & Developments

·         INSAS Standard rifle (5.56 mm) issued to Indian Army & Paramilitary, with folding and fixed butt variants, fires semi-automatic and three rounds burst. An assault variant is also manufactured with full auto fire mode along with semi & three burst mode, used by Indian Army.

·         INSAS (Foldable Butt) (5.56 mm) It resembles 5.56 mm Assault Rifle Fixed Butt in all other features except that the Fixed Butt is replaced with a foldable type of Butt to shorten the overall length and it does not include automatic mode of firing. It is most suitable for combat from ICV and in Para Troopers role.

·         INSAS LMG 5.56 mm INSAS (folding and fixed butt variants) - An Indian version of Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) Incorporated for suppressive and cover fire for troops. Barrel is designed for long and continued fire, it has auto fire mode with 30 round feed capacity along with Bipods. Meant to replace the old Bren LMG.

·         KALANTAK 5.56 mm micro assault rifle (under-going user trials), - Kalantak Micro Assault Rifle is a gas operated automatic, air cooled, folding butt Rifle for CQB & Personnel Defense Weapon Role. The weapon uses the same ammunition (5.56x45mm) as used in Rifle/ LMG, thus reducing the logistic problems in having different kinds of ammunition for different role of weapons. It’s design and mechanism is simple and having the capability to accommodate the various modern optical sights like Red Dot Sight, Holographic, MARS etc., available internationally in the market. Due consideration has been given for Reliability, Ergonomics and Aesthetics in designing of the Weapon. The furniture items will be subjected to continual improvement from human engineering point of view.

·         Modern Sub Machine Carbine - A submachine gun in the INSAS family, which uses unique 5.56×30mm MINSAS ammunition designed especially for the gun. The magazine is in the pistol grip as in the Uzi. Passed two phases of trials by Army, third and final trial has been conducted in December 2009.

Vidhwansak rifle

Vidhwansak (Sanskrit:” The Destroyer") is an Indian multi-caliber anti-materiel rifle (AMR) or large-caliber sniper rifle manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirapalli. It can be used in the anti-materiel role for destroying enemy bunkers, lightly armored vehicles, radar systems, communication equipment, parked aircraft, fuel storage facilities, etc. It is also effective in long range sniping, counter sniping and ordnance disposal roles.

Features

Vidhwansak is a manually operated, rotating bolt action rifle. The barrel along with the receiver recoil inside the chassis frame against a damping system. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine, which is inserted from the left side. The rifle can be quickly disassembled and carried in two man-portable packs, each weighing about 12 to 15 kg. The rifle has an effective range of 1,800 m (1,300 m for the 20 mm version), while shots can be achieved even up to 2,000 m. The rifle is magazine fed, and reloaded through manual bolt action. A muzzle brake is fitted on the end of the barrel which absorbs an estimated 50%-60% of recoil. This is further supplemented by a buffered slide in the receiver. Vidhwansak is equipped with an 8X magnification, long eye relief telescopic sight with parallax adjustment. A 12X ballistic scope can also be attached.

Variants

Vidhwansak AMR is one of few firearms to support 3 calibers with quick interchangeability (without completely disassembling and reworking the weapon). The Vidhwansak can be easily converted between the three calibers - 12.7 mm, 14.5 mm and 20 mm, by replacing the barrel, bolt, magazine and scope, which takes about 1 minute in the field, without the need for any specialized tools.

 

Modern Sub Machine Carbine

 The Modern Sub Machine Carbine / MSMC submachine gun with optional Israeli-made ITL MARS red dot sight installed on the Picatinny rail.

The Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) is the latest combined venture of Armament Research and Development Establishment & Ordnance Factories Organization, developed for the Indian Army on a platform of experiences from the INSAS rifle. The gun is very lightweight and compact in comparison with other indigenous produced rifles. It is chambered for the 5.56×30mm MINSAS cartridge. The new round appears to be of same concept that experimental American Colt MARS, as it has bottlenecked case 30mm long, loaded with light, pointed bullet with steel penetrator core. The bullet weight is 2.6 gram and muzzle velocity from 300mm carbine barrel is listed as 650 m/s, resulting in muzzle energy value of 550 Joules - similar to modern pistol cartridges. The cartridge, known as 5.56x30 MINSAS, offers effective range of about 200 to 300 meters, with good penetration against body armor.

History

The MSMC was designed after the Army's disappointment with the progress of a carbine version of the INSAS rifle. A variant called Excalibur was developed, but was deemed unable to fulfill the requirements. The MSMC was designed to rectify the shortcomings of the previous developments. Through various trials and improvements, ARDE came out with a grip-feeding, Uzi-like design which shortened the length of the weapon, making it more suited for CQC purposes. Later its ergonomics were improved, boosting its export potential. The weapon is said to be capable of penetrating bullet-proof jackets. It was created as an off-shoot of the INSAS small arms program. The plan was to develop a carbine based on the INSAS rifle. However, it did not materialize as the powerful rounds used in the INSAS rifle created excessive recoil for the smaller carbine. Hence, it was decided to develop a new lightweight carbine that can fit the requirement of various Indian security forces.

Design Details

Following design from machine pistols like the Uzi, the MSMC has a pistol grip which allows the user to fire it even with one hand. This allows the insertion of 30-round MSMC magazines on the pistol grip. It has a retractable buttstock and ambidextrous cocking levers on both sides of the MSMC, alongside the fire selectors to suit individuals who prefer to fire the weapon from either the left or right shoulder located above the trigger. It has a picatinny railing on the receiver to allow the installations of weapon sights like reflex and red dot sights with iron sights built into the railing. The weapon fires in a gas operated mode, utilizing rotary bolt locking and a gas piston.

Like the Uzi, the MSMC is made up of stamped sheet metal while having polymer housing. An unusual design to the MSMC is the placement of the bayonet lug, located above the barrel just at the front of the receiver. It also has a built-in laser sight.

The Verdict

The mass introduction of the INSAS rifle was initially delayed by the lack of the domestically made 5.56 mm ammunition and India accordingly bought significant stocks of ammunition from the Israeli IMI company. At the present time at least 300,000 INSAS rifles are in service with the Indian army; some of these have seen action in Indo-Pakistani conflict. The INSAS rifles are made by the Ishapore Rifle Factory. The Modern Sub Machine Carbine / MSMC submachine gun is intended for Indian Special Operation troops, but it also can make a good Personal Defense Weapon for vehicle and gun crews and other non-infantry personnel operating in combat zones. As of now (spring 2010), the Modern Sub Machine Carbine / MSMC submachine gun is in its final stages of T&E by Indian military. Vidhwansak, which costs Rs 10 lakh (USD 20,000), is much cheaper than comparable foreign alternatives such as the Denel NTW-20 AMR, which costs Rs 23 lakhs (USD 45,000). The rifle has also been offered to the Indian Army and the National Security Guards.

INDIA’s MISSILE SYSTEMS

The Defense research and development organization (DRDO) is one of Asia’s largest defense contractors and a leading aerospace manufacturer headquartered in New Delhi. In recent years, DRDO has achieved success in several projects, the prime project of it being the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), which aims at developing local missile design and development ability and manufacturing a range of missile systems for the three defense services. The IGMDP has developed five missile platforms, surface to surface missile systems Prithvi and Agni series of missiles, Akash SAM, anti-tank Nag missile and multi-mission Trishul missile.

The Prithvi is the first missile developed under IGMDP. It has the capability to carry 500 kg warhead. It is nine meters long with one meter diameter. Its launch weight is about 4.6 tonnes.The missile is thrust by liquid propulsion twin-engine and uses Advanced Inertial Guidance System with maneuvering trajectory. Its naval counterpart, Dhanush has a striking range up to 350 km and can carry single warhead, conventional or nuclear, up to 500 kg.The missile is about 8.53 meters long with 0.9 meter diameter. It has a launch weight of about 4.4 tonnes.This single-stage missile uses liquid propellant. It can be used as an anti-ship weapon as well as for destroying land targets depending on the range. Unlike Prithvi, the missile is fired at best from an unwieldy Launchpad.

Work on the 9 km range Trishul missile system has been completed as technology demonstrator. Nag is third generation; fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with a range of 4 km.It has a complete fiberglass structure. This indigenous missile which can operate during day and night, has a 10-year, maintenance-free shelf life and its lethal capability has been increased to enable it to carry one of the most powerful tandem warheads. Equipped with imaging infrared (IID) guidance and an IIR seeker, ‘NAG’ has ‘lock-on-before launch’ capability. Its carrier, a modified version of the infantry combat vehicles BMP-2(ICV), is capable of carrying four ready-to-fire missiles in the launch platform and to store 12 more missiles. Akash is a mobile, multiple-target handling and medium range Air Defense missile with a strike range of 25 km and an effective ceiling of 18 km. This 5.6 meter long sleek missile has a launch weight of 700 kg and can carry a warhead of 50 kg. It will be used to counter ballistic missiles and enemy aircraft.  Compared to the US-made Patriot, the Akash has better features. It is totally mobile and can be launched from a battle tank. It operates in conjunction with the indigenously built Rajendra Surveillance and Engagement Radar. The radar is capable of tracking 64 targets and guiding up to 12 missiles simultaneously.

Agni-1 has a strike range of 700-900 km and can hit targets in Pakistan. Compared to its longer range cousins, its height is just 12 meters and powered with both solid and liquid propellants imparting a speed of 2.5 km per second. It can blast off from both road and rail mobile launchers. Weighing less than the other series of missiles but having the same thrust, the missile has added acceleration. It is designed to bridge the gap between short-range Prithvi and the intermediate range Agni-2 that has a range of more than 2000 km. Agni-2 is a 2000 km plus range surface-to-surface Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile. It can neutralize a target at over 2000 km and carry a payload of around 1000 kg. Its range can be increased to 3000 km depending on the payload.  It is designed to be launched from a rail-mobile launcher and also road-mobile configuration. It is a ready-to-fire missile with a launch time of about 15 minutes. Agni-3 has a strike range of 3500 km and can target major cities of China. Agni-3 which is a new system is a short and stubby, two-stage, long-range missile that weighs 48.3 tonnes and is 16.7 meters tall with an overall diameter of 1.8 meters. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing around 1.5 tonnes. It will be propelled by solid fuels, facilitating swifter deployment compared to missiles using both solid and liquid fuels. Agni-5 is a 5000 km range ICBM and it will surpass all the previous three versions of the missile, will be surface-based, solid and liquid propellant ballistic missile and equipped with inertial guidance systems with an improved optical or radar terminal phase correlation system. This missile also possesses a submarine launch capability. It would be virtually indestructible and unstoppable in times of war. The launching of the 5000 km range missile would entail strapping third stage booster rocket on Agni-3 missiles powered by solid fuel propellant. It is a canister-launch missile system to ensure it has the requisite operational flexibility to be swiftly transported and fired from anywhere. So the missile will be capable of being swiftly moved closer to the border with China.

India is developing a new generation of long range, sub-sonic stealth cruise missile called the ‘Nirbhay’ having an operational strike range of about 1000 km. It is 6-metre long with a diameter of around 0.52 meter. Using the inertial navigation system, it could fly at a speed of around 0.7 mach. It is capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements. ‘Astra’ is a beyond visual range air to air missile designed for a 80-km range in head-on mode and 20-km range in tail-chase mode. It can intercept fast-moving aerial targets at supersonic speeds (1.2 to 1.4 mach). The single-stage, smoke-less, solid propelled missile cannot be traced by any enemy radar and hence, can successfully destroy the targets. The missile ‘K-15’ with a range of 700 km is India’s first-ever submarine launched ballistic missile. It is about 8.5 meters long with one meter diameter. Its launch weight is about 7 tonnes. It uses solid propellant. It can carry a conventional payload of about 500 kg and also be fitted with tactical nuclear warhead.

Brahmos is a maneuverable supersonic cruise missile. It is a two-stage missile. It is nine meters tall and weighs 3.9 tonnes with the canister. It can carry a conventional warhead weighing 300 kg to a low altitude of 10 meters at a speed of mach 2.8 from a range of 290 km.It can be launched from vertical or inclined position and will cover 360 degrees. It can be integrated into army, navy, air force and even submarines. Its aerial version will be nine-meter long and once fitted can auto-launch itself towards the target after being released from the aircraft by the pilot. The submarine launched versions will make the submarines capable of attacking surface targets at sea or on land. The enhanced version of the Brahmos missile, the Brahmos-2 hypersonic missile will be jointly developed by India and Russia and shall cover a distance of more than 1000 km at 8 mach.