INSAS Rifle, LMG & Carbine

harsh

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Days Before Exit, MoS Rao Inderjit Singh Had Major Row Over Gun Deal

NEW DELHI: In this week's Cabinet reshuffle, Rao Inderjit Singh was moved from the ministry of defence (MoD), where he was a minister of state (MoS), and given the remit of planning and urban development, also as MoS.

Just 10 days before the reshuffle, on June 25, Singh had a major row in a high-level MoD meeting, forcing Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar to intervene. In that meeting, Singh took on the Army and MoD's acquisition wing, accused them of "unfair selection" in an Army contract for 44,000 carbines, batted for inclusion of Italian firm Beretta in the list of vendors, even asking for a CBI probe into the selection process.

Beretta had been disqualified in Army trials for carbines, and Israeli firm IWI was the only firm that passed the test.

At that same meeting, the Army and the MoD's acquisition wing made the point that the terms of reference of the contract could not be changed to accommodate any vendor, and that such a decision would not survive legal scrutiny.

Officers who spoke to ET for this story did so on the condition they not be identified. They said Parikkar agreed with the principle of not having a single vendor but he said he will take up the issue at a different level. MoD responded to ET's questions by saying it did not wish to comment.

Singh, who spoke to ET at length, said he had asked for a CBI inquiry. He claimed his point was to establish how the army had picked a "single vendor", IWI, for this order.

Beretta is promoted in India by Udai Singh and his father Bhupinder Singh. The senior Singh, nicknamed Tusky by his friends, is a familiar figure in Delhi's defence circles. The Singhs had figured in a controversy over supply of allegedly sub-standard submachine guns to Border Security Force.

When contacted by ET, Bhupinder Singh said he was not "aware of any development or controversy around the carbine deal".

Documents reviewed by ET show Rao Inderjit Singh had made his first intervention in February 2015, through a letter to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and sent another communication in June 2015.

Before Singh's intervention, Beretta, an Italian firm best known for its handguns, had been disqualified by the Army as a vendor because its carbines' laser sight did not make the cut in trials.

Singh's interventions through 2015 and in the meeting a week before the Cabinet reshuffle made the point that Beretta should be called for another round of trials.

Singh's first letter in January 2015 made acase for a retrial, arguing that a single vendor will push up price.

In the second letter in June 2015, the junior minister suggested the contract be modified to ensure there is no single vendor situation. He argued that laser sights could be procured from the public sector defence manufacturer Bharat Electronics Ltd.

Singh told ET: "There was an apprehension that the resultant single vendor situation (in favour of IWI) could have been managed. I asked for a CBI inquiry, if necessary, to get to the bottom of the affair," he said.

http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/07/days-before-exit-mos-rao-inderjit-singh.html?m=1

We still have some people who are interested in bribe.
And I want to know how strong lobby these Italian firms have every newspaper is advocating the Italian and franch defence systems.
 

Raj Malhotra

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It seems that two corrupt import lobbies are fighting. Babus are trying to make a fool out of our DM. Assault rifle RFP was fixed in favor or ARX-160 while Carbine RFP was fixed in favor of Israeli IMI. It seems that with failure of grand assault rifle import strategy, a big fight has broken out for carbine import tender.

Actually we don't need to import either the assault rifle and or carbine. A-7, Excalibur and MCIWS can easily fulfill the requirements. But to salvage the import lobbies, new balloon is being floated for 7.62x51 caliber rifle. though it would cost only around Rs 10 crores to develop a 7.62x51 variant of MCIWS and it save thousands of crores of imports but nobody of all, least the army will give this suggestion of indigenous development.

Frankly even RFI, RFP stages are itself very lucrative for certain Babus, helping them mint mulla, with all the lobbies fighting with each other on the wording of tender which can be make or break for their client.
 

aditya g

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No wonder nobody in MoD supports desi products. Is DRDO or OFB going to bribe MoD? No

Infact this may be the reason why Russians are losing out in recent years, while they employ lobbying, honey trap etc, not once have they been accused of bribing to get our contracts

It seems that two corrupt import lobbies are fighting. Babus are trying to make a fool out of our DM. Assault rifle RFP was fixed in favor or ARX-160 while Carbine RFP was fixed in favor of Israeli IMI. It seems that with failure of grand assault rifle import strategy, a big fight has broken out for carbine import tender.

Actually we don't need to import either the assault rifle and or carbine. A-7, Excalibur and MCIWS can easily fulfill the requirements. But to salvage the import lobbies, new balloon is being floated for 7.62x51 caliber rifle. though it would cost only around Rs 10 crores to develop a 7.62x51 variant of MCIWS and it save thousands of crores of imports but nobody of all, least the army will give this suggestion of indigenous development.

Frankly even RFI, RFP stages are itself very lucrative for certain Babus, helping them mint mulla, with all the lobbies fighting with each other on the wording of tender which can be make or break for their client.
 

Raj Malhotra

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Excaliber is basically a Simplified version of INSAS. It is very good edition to the range of indigenous products.

DRDO can knock out 7.62x51version of MCIWS both conventional and bullpub if someone asks.

A bullpub version of 7.62x51 MCIWS should weight around 3 kg to 3.5 kg. But who cares?
 

Raj Malhotra

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While 4 rails around fore end look cool, but guess a practical problem? It cuts into your fingers while shooting, if not wearing gloves.
 

Kunal Biswas

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The rails are not sharp, It does not harm the palm while holding ..

Their are too many operators of Excalibur MK1A, Excalibur MK1A is perhaps under mass production ..

Dada,is this rifle used in mass numbers or is just partially used by some police forces?
While 4 rails around fore end look cool, but guess a practical problem? It cuts into your fingers while shooting, if not wearing gloves.
 

rishivashista13

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Excaliber is basically a Simplified version of INSAS. It is very good edition to the range of indigenous products.

DRDO can knock out 7.62x51version of MCIWS both conventional and bullpub if someone asks.

A bullpub version of 7.62x51 MCIWS should weight around 3 kg to 3.5 kg. But who cares?
Bullpup ! Really ? Is DRDO working on any bullpup design ??
I don't think DRDO has any plans or preparations to launch bullpup .

Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk
 

hardip

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Bullpup ! Really ? Is DRDO working on any bullpup design ??
I don't think DRDO has any plans or preparations to launch bullpup .

Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

DRDO already worked on Bull pup design..
also put some trial model too.
but maybe not pass.. it
 

rishivashista13

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DRDO already worked on Bull pup design..
also put some trial model too.
but maybe not pass.. it
Then , What was its name ? Do you have any details , pics , links , articles ,etc any thing ?


Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk
 

Kunal Biswas

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Kunal Biswas

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Kunal Biswas

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Looks like new requirement want non-transparent magazine but made of harden plastic as before ..

Also 22rnd magazine as before in 1B1 ..
 

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