Kumaoni
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I’m not sure, but many times battalions would use captured AKs and PKMs from the slain insurgents. The AK was not standardized, it was only procured for few units, the ISNAS rifle is what largely was used in both coin in kargil. Even the 7.62 SLR proved to be more effective than the 5.56, and was often used more than the latter.as they say hindsight is always twenty twenty.
from an equipment point of view, moving from SLR to AK/vz happened during that period for COIN, which is a big deal in itself. the pace and intensity of 90's was far higher than what's happening now a days, those years were spent adapting tactics of regular military to counter insurgency. TAR-21 started getting inducted in 2005.
this is to say, developing small arms is not India's forte even today. INSAS served it's purpose for the day, and that's about it.
on a side note, unable to find pics of zitara bullpup, do post it here if you find one.
In 2002 when a new battalion came in Kishtwar under Maj Gen GD bakshi, they even asked him to procure them just 100 AKs, as they felt that the ISNAS was ineffective. Gen Bakshi further states that the 5.56 round of the ISNAS proved to be far too ineffective in delivering lethal hits to the insurgents.
The historical fact is that we should have began manufacturing the AK in the 90s itself, instead of relying on Junk ISNAS. A 5.56 round is simply ineffective in the dense forests of kishtwar or the barren steep heights of the Mushkoh valley.