INSAS Rifle, LMG & Carbine

[Anikastha]

Excalibur Rifle and the Arms Merchant

Indian Army after the failure of four imported design competetion in last three years came to the conclusion that the rifles in the imported multi calibre competetion did not suit their requirement. They instead preferred an Indian design of Excalibur design, which is further development of INSAS rifle with improved everything.

The four imported with multicaliber designs which were still in prototype stage could not become a winning the competetion. Now their prestige was at stake. They just could not let an Indian design to go past their merchandise without a fight. So the arms merchants began a very sophisticated propaganda against Excalibur.

First, they pointed out that the Excalibur is also at a prototype stage, which is true. It has not been inducted in large scale and has not undergone a battle test in firefight anywhere with any of the armed forces including BSF, counter insurgency forces etc.

Second, not disputing the test results, they began to question GSQR specs. These were termed flawed and unachieveable. The forgoing may or may not be true. These were written to get a multicaliber rifle with future thirty years requirements of an individual soldier in mind, still the foreign arms merchant brought four of their prototypes to be tested to India. They should have thought about GSQR flaws earlier before entering the competetion.

Now their reputation is at stake as their designs has failed.

Third, at six times the price of regular INSAS rifle and four times the Excalibur rifle, the arms merchant's argument is that if sufficient numbers are ordered, prices will come down. Their argument is invalid. Only 66,000 are to purchased off the shelf in the initial phase. Price offered was way too high and fixed. The remaining one hundred thousand more to manufactured in India under technology transfer will not be marginally cheaper as they will set the transfer price of technology, parts and other machine tools so high that it won't be cheap to manufacture in India.

Fourth, they are mildly invalidating the Excalibur design as inadequate, although it passed the rigorous test. They argue that it is a soupped up INSAS. If INSAS has not succeeded well (that point of theirs is invalid as over years all the improvements to INSAS has made it a formidable weapon) with Indian soldiers, Excalibur will not succeed either. Read in between the lines, only their weapon will succeed. That argument is also invalid, the same argument can be advanced to M-16 rifle of the US army, it did not succeed in Vietnam war, but improvements over twenty years made it a formidable weapon although still questionable range and hitting power.

Fifth, Indian Ordinance Factories are out of date. They belong in fifties and sixties. These cannot produce a very modern weapon. The arms merchants may be correct here. The rifle manufacturing factories are grossly under achievers. They have not been upgraded to take on the task of today's complex manufacture. Our labour also need thorough reshuffle and re-education before a complex task of machining, stamping of exact parts is undertaken. Quality problems are serious issue during the production stage.

Sixth, the above propaganda war is being fought thru foreign magazines and news portals with Rahul Bedi and Raghuvanshi etc. Leading the charge. Other "Fanboys" defence forums pick up their arguments and question Excalibur design. I do not believe any of them (including me) have seen the business end of the Excalbur rifle, barring a few. But their crocodile tears become points to argue.

Seventh, the India Army although being asked to thoroughly evaluate the Excalibur rifle has scheduled testing in the hands of the soldiers. Pressed by the highest level of Army hierarchy, a number of high Army officials have decided to get involved in initial prototype manufacture stage. This is all designed to make the New rifle succeed. Unless a mess up happen (do not under estimate Arms Merchant Lobby) then Excalibur would be a standard rifle in the Indian Army. Specialized units in the Army may wield a Indian made multicaliber rifle, or Tavor rifle or M-4 or AK-47 etc., but standard weapon of of the Indian Army is expected to be Excalibur rifle.

A few high army officials may be unhappy, as the possibilities of commissions and bribes has been eliminated. Their last chance is to make this rifle unworthy if prototype defects are deliberately left in the rifle before a couple of hundred are sent to the army for testing. These defects may fail the rifle, but factories have to watch out for that.

Down with the Arms Merchants.

I hope Excalibur is lighter than INSAS.

 

[acetophenol]

Did we our forces used INSAS rifles during operatio operation khukri? Any pics?

 

[jackprince]

A closeup shows that the magazines are empty, or is it they had just one round chambered?

Most likely the photo was taken during familiarization, as at that time the guns are preferably kept empty to avoid accidents.

 

[Immanuel]

Nice work Ghost Perhaps you should go work for OFB/ARDE, shows them how it's done.

IMO MCIWS/Excalibur should be combined into 1 project and call it Excalibur. 5.56 should be the standard law enforcement round hence Excalibur-LE (30 round mag), 6.5mm is the ideal Infantry round hence Excalibur-IR (30 round mag); 7.62 is the ideal Assault Round hence Excalibur-AR (30 round mag). Also They need work on a 7.26 variant, ideal Battle rifle hence Excalibur-BR (20 round mag) & the same 7.26 version modified into sniper Rifle. Excalibur-SR (10 round mag). The MSMC submachine gun can be renamed Excalibur-SMG, We can also have a 7.26 LMG based on this hence Excalibur-LMG (100 round mag). all rifles must have single and full auto option.

 

[Sameet2]

My concept of MCIWS family.

My concept of modified insas/excalibur

MCIWS+INSAS =

bhai photoshop karna jaruri tha kya ??

 

[pmaitra]

bhai photoshop karna jaruri tha kya ??

Bro, let's not discourage his creativity. It might not be perfect, but I think he should be commended for taking the time out and presenting it here for all of us.

Thank you @ghost.

 

[Blood+]

Nice work Ghost Perhaps you should go work for OFB/ARDE, shows them how it's done.

IMO MCIWS/Excalibur should be combined into 1 project and call it Excalibur. 5.56 should be the standard law enforcement round hence Excalibur-LE (30 round mag), 6.5mm is the ideal Infantry round hence Excalibur-IR (30 round mag); 7.62 is the ideal Assault Round hence Excalibur-AR (30 round mag). Also They need work on a 7.26 variant, ideal Battle rifle hence Excalibur-BR (20 round mag) & the same 7.26 version modified into sniper Rifle. Excalibur-SR (10 round mag). The MSMC submachine gun can be renamed Excalibur-SMG, We can also have a 7.26 LMG based on this hence Excalibur-LMG (100 round mag). all rifles must have single and full auto option.

What's 7.26??
.....................................

 

[Immanuel]

What's 7.26??
.....................................

Sorry my bad I meant 7.62*51mm

 

[Future soldier VED]

OFB is still using wooden furniture on Sick Insas .
Someone please tell them that we're living in 2015.....

 

[indiandefencefan]

OFB is still using wooden furniture on Sick Insas .
Someone please tell them that we're living in 2015.....

The furniture used the latest INSAS rifles is polymer and not wood.
It is the orange/brown paint used by OFB which makes it look like wood.
Conversely they have started painted the polymer black nowadays

 

[Savaj]

Funny part is, while Indian Army was issued with Orange paint screaming "shoot here", Nepal Army opted for Black paint.

 

[Lions Of Punjab]

What is Major sir is wearing on his helmet ?

 

[tharun]

What is Major sir is wearing on his helmet ?

It's a sensor(Multiple Integrated Laser engagement System).When he is hit by laser emitters it will beep so that he is dead.
Mostly used for training purpose

 

[Shadow]

What is Major sir is wearing on his helmet ?

Thats a part of
Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System
Individual soldiers carry small laser receivers scattered over their bodies, which detect when the soldier has been illuminated by a firearm's laser. Each laser transmitter is set to mimic the effective range of the weapon on which it is used. When a person is "hit", a medic can use the digital readout to determine which first aid method to practice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_Integrated_Laser_Engagement_System

 

[ghost]

Amogh carbine

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829

 

[tharun]

Is Zittara a copied varient of X-95/TAR-21

 

[pmaitra]

INSAS AR missing cover on top of the gas pipe with Carl-Gustav in the background

INSAS AR

INSAS LMG

INSAS AR with bayonet and missing cover on top of the gas pipe

INSAS AR wrapped in camouflage cloth

INSAS AR missing cover on top of the gas pipe

 

[Chinmoy]

Is Zittara a copied varient of X-95/TAR-21

Zittara is the 9mm version of MTAR-21 build by OFB under license and X-95 is the version of Micro Tavor.

 

[prateikf]

Has Zittara ever been produced by the OFB? Have not seen or heard of its use among the forces. Have only seen TAR-21 used by the Army special forces and X-95 used by CRPF. Both were directly purchased from IMI.

 

[Chinmoy]

Has Zittara ever been produced by the OFB? Have not seen or heard of its use among the forces. Have only seen TAR-21 used by the Army special forces and X-95 used by CRPF. Both were directly purchased from IMI.

What I've quoted is from these two sources.

http://ofbindia.gov.in/products/data/weapons/wsc/25.htm

Zittara Multi-purpose Carbine

• Weapon capable of being used in an assault rifle role with capability to fire 5.56X45 mm rounds with an accuracy upto 300 m
• Weapon capable of being used in a carbine role with capability to fire 5.56X30 mm and 9X19 mm rounds with an accuracy upto 200 m
• Bull pup configuration making the weapon only 59 cms long and 3 Kgs in weight
• Integrated aiming system � Reflex sight + integral laser pointer.
• Day & Night continuous fighting capability � No zeroing needed.
• Ideal for Close Quarter Battle (CQB) with all calibers owing to all the above features
• Advanced ergonomic design.
• Compact rifle with long barrel � High accuracy.
• Rear center of gravity - Comfort in shooting and holding � Improved hit probability.
• Appropriate for right or left-hand shooter
• Interchangeability of barrel and magazine for both calibers
• Advanced sighting system attached directly to barrel.
• Adjustment of optical system for continuous day & night fighting.
�

CHARACTERISTICS


5.56x45 mm INSAS & NATO 5.56x30 mm 9x19 mm
Weight
(Weapon only) 3 kg 3 kg 3 kg
Method of operation Closed Bolt Position Closed Bolt Position Blow Back
Total Length 59 cm 59 cm 59 cm
Barrel length 33 cm 33 cm 33 cm
Muzzle Velocity 890 m/sec 650 m/sec 410 m/sec
Rate of Fire 750 � 950 rds/min 900 rds/min 650 rds/min
Magazine 30 rds 30 rds 30 rds

Contact :

Marketing & Export Division
Ordnance Factory Board
Ayudh Bhawan
Government of India
Ministry of Defence
10A, S. K. Bose Road, Kolkata – 700 001, India.

&
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_Tavor_TAR-21#India
In late 2002, India signed an INR 880 million (about USD 17.7 million) deal with Israel Military Industries for 3,070 manufactured Tavor assault rifles to be issued to India's special forces personnel, where its ergonomics, reliability in heat and sand might give them an edge at close-quarters and employment from inside vehicles. By 2005, IMI had supplied 350–400 Tavors to India's northern Special Frontier Force (SFF). These were subsequently declared to be "operationally unsatisfactory". The required changes have since been made, and tests in Israel during 2006 went well, clearing the contracted consignment for delivery. The Tavor has now entered operational service – even as India gears up for a larger competition that could feature a 9 mm MTAR-21 version. Known as the Zittara, the rifle is manufactured in India by the Ordnance Factories Board for Indian service, the new Tavors have a modified single-piece stock and new sights, as well as Turkish-made MKEK T-40 40 mm under-barrel grenade launchers. 5,500 have been recently inducted and more rifles are being ordered. A consignment of over 500 TAR-21 Tavor assault rifles and another 30 Galil sniper rifles worth over INR 150 million (USD 3.3 million) and INR 20 million respectively was delivered to the MARCOS (Marine Commandos) in December 2010.

India's paramilitary and counter-insurgency Central Reserve Police Force CRPF ordered 12000 Micro Tavor (X-95) rifles (designation X-95), with the rifles entering service in early 2011. Following the use of the weapon by Indian forces fighting the insurgency in Kashmir, CRPF commanders have stated that the X-95 is a more effective assault rifle than the AKM, due to its small size, power, longer range and lighter weight.