Modernisation of Indian Army Infantry

gutenmorgen

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Indo-Russian AK-203 Rifles production in India gets delayed
Sources confirmed to Financial Express Online that the delay is due to issues related to Transfer of Technology (ToT) from Russia which has to be addressed first.


Indigenous production of the much awaited AK-203 assault rifle under the joint venture between India and Russia is expected to be delayed further due to unresolved issues between the two sides.

Sources confirmed to Financial Express Online that “There is a delay in the indigenous manufacturing of the AK-203 as there are issues related to Transfer of Technology (ToT) from Russia which has to be addressed first.”

“Secondly, due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, there has been a delay in the process of firming up the supply chain. Also there is lack of clarity on the supply chain,” said the source quoted above.

Adding, “Incidentally, there is no clarity on who will be making the barrel of the assault rifle.”

F-INSAS unveiled by defence minister

On Tuesday, defence minister Rajnath Singh, had unveiled the concept of Future Infantry Soldier as a System (F-INSAS). The F-INSAS handed over showed an AK-203 assault rifle, which India had received off the shelf from Moscow, the soldier was wearing a helmet made by Kanpur based MKU, and the bullet proof jacket is from another company SMPP Pvt. Ltd.

How many rifles are required?

The Indian Army is waiting for 6.71 Around 6.71 lakh AK-203 7.62×39 mm rifles to be manufactured at this facility based at Korwa, UP. The two countries in 2019 had inked an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) under which a Joint Venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) was formed. Initially, it will include Russian components. There also in batches of 20,000-40,000, the percentage of indigenous content would be increased gradually from 5% to 100% with a plan to produce all AK-203 after the first 1.2L with 100% indigenisation.

Upgrade of the existing AK-47

Financial Express Online earlier this year had reported that a Bengaluru based company SSS Defence had won a contract for upgradation of AK 47 rifles to the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces. The company has completed delivery of its Proprietary upgrade kits. Interestingly, for the first time a private sector company SSS Defence replaced an incumbent Israeli supplier – FAB Defence.

Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war the company, according to sources the company is expected to receive a larger contract to upgrade more Kalashnikov rifles in service. The Special Forces of the Indian Army is presently using a mix of frontline assault weapons including — TAR-21s, M4A1s, among other rifles.

As has been reported earlier, sources have said “there is an acute shortage of raw material, components and end products, and this is causing delays in the indigenisation of various platforms in the Indian army.”

AK-203 for the Indian Army

The INSAS rifle which has been the mainstay of the armed forces has been plagued by limited upgrades, inefficiencies, and manufacturing quality concerns.

The Indian Army has had its woes with the INSAS rifle, an indigenous production, since its induction in 1994. One problem the Indian Army faces is the lack of a standardised carbine. The equipment has been unable to change with the evolution of the Army. The Army went from a traditional infantry force to a multifaceted organisation increasingly taking on urban assailants in a close quarter battle. Further, the Army revised its philosophy that earlier demanded the rifle to be able to incapacitate the target. Now, the Army adorns a stricter stance and seeks, per philosophy, an assault rifle capable of carrying out “shoot to kill” orders. Further, the existing infantry suffers losses when long-range, high-recoil rifles are used in tight spaces.

The AK-47, irrespective of the operator, has delivered in various environments, from deserts to high seas to the mountains. However, evolution is never-ending. And Kalashnikov released its next flagship rifle, the AK-203. It is slated to be a worldwide standard in the years to come.

More about AK-203

The Indian Army will receive a 300m range AK-203, although there are variants with a more excellent range. Even at such a long-range, the accuracy of the AK-203 is one of the best. It edges out the competition in the amount of Picatinny rails which allow a variety of add-ons such as sights. This standard mounting system lends greater modularity to the operators. It carries the reputable reliability that has been the hallmark of the Kalashnikov rifles like the AK-47 and the AK-74. It can perform in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius in temperature tests. This makes it perfect for the mountainous warfare the Indian Army engages in with Pakistan and China.

In the opposite environment, the rifle also sustains dust storms and other builds of sand in desert environments. The tests were meant to emulate a sandstorm that could not deter the rifle’s reliability and accuracy. This is a handy weapon for even the long desert terrain we share with Pakistan.

The rifle tests included an emulation of tropical rain where the rifle was loaded and then exposed to the long downpour that turned the sand into silt. This means that not only will the wetter and tropical operations benefit, but with the combined ability to resist sand and silt, it will be viable for coastal forces to use this as well.

Beyond extreme reliability, it will use the 7.62×39 mm carbine with a collapsible stock that will enable close-quarter battles. This one rifle will be able to adapt to various tasks that the Indian Army has been undertaking. The Indian Army will be the first recipient of the AK-203 outside Russia. Currently, it is under limited use by the Russian Special Forces.

Initially, it will include Russian components. There also in batches of 20,000-40,000, the percentage of indigenous content would be increased gradually from 5% to 100% with a plan to produce all AK-203 after the first 1.2L with 100 percent indigenisation.
It may be an unpopular and noobish opinion here but shouldn't we also start a trial with sss defence, OFB and other local manufacturers for 7.62 russian and 7.62 nato rifles? Even if the russian purchase makes it through, it only provides enough rifles for half of our soldiers + 70,000-140,000 Sigs. We can still move in the direction of local MIC for some of the rest of our soldiers (total number is closer to 14 lakhs IIRC). There must be a demand for at least 1-2 lakhs rifle more.
And if we back out on our deal with russians, we would have an option that is done with trials, ready to go into production.
 

NotASussyBoi

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List of ammunition types currently used by IA
  1. 5.56×45mm NATO - Assault rifles, Machine guns
  2. 9×19mm Parabellum - Handguns and SMGs
  3. 7.62×39mm - Assault rifles
  4. 7.62×51mm NATO - Battle rifles, Sniper rifles, Machine guns
  5. 7.62×54mmR - Sniper rifles, Machine guns
  6. .338 Lapua Magnum - Sniper rifles
  7. 12.7×108mm - Anti-material rifles, Machine guns
  8. .50 BMG - Anti-material rifles, Machine guns
  9. 14.5×114mm - Anti-material rifles
  10. 20x82mm - Anti-material rifles
  11. 5.56×30mm MINSAS - SMGs (in future)
The entire situation is a gigantic logistic nightmare.
i wonder if it would work by removing draugnovs and standarizing 7.62x51 for dmrs and average sniper rifles like the americans does,use some sort of long range ar 10 and use another ar 10 sdmr,should save the guys at logistics some back pain and we could limit 5.56 to special forces and use an ak carbine,practically kills 4 three birds in one stone
 

Automatic Kalashnikov

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List of ammunition types currently used by IA
  1. 5.56×45mm NATO - Assault rifles, Machine guns
  2. 9×19mm Parabellum - Handguns and SMGs
  3. 7.62×39mm - Assault rifles
  4. 7.62×51mm NATO - Battle rifles, Sniper rifles, Machine guns
  5. 7.62×54mmR - Sniper rifles, Machine guns
  6. .338 Lapua Magnum - Sniper rifles
  7. 12.7×108mm - Anti-material rifles, Machine guns
  8. .50 BMG - Anti-material rifles, Machine guns
  9. 14.5×114mm - Anti-material rifles
  10. 20x82mm - Anti-material rifles
  11. 5.56×30mm MINSAS - SMGs (in future)
The entire situation is a gigantic logistic nightmare.
Does the infantry use any 5.56*45mm weapon, barring a few x95s with ghataks?
 

AUSTERLITZ

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Paki assault rifle competition.AK103 beat all,particularly in difficult conditions(mud,dust,snow,heat-which are staple for IA).Also shows difference in quality between russian made and copy kalashnikovs.


''Extreme Climate Test. Hot. 360 rounds loaded into magazines and three test weapons were conditioned at +60°C (140°F) for 12 hours. All the test weapons performed without issue except for the US weapons, all of which had the bolt catch fall out of the weapon during testing and one of which launched the muzzle break down range. ''

Cold. 720 rounds loaded into magazines and three test weapons were conditioned at -40°C (-40°F). Two cycles of 120x rounds fired from each weapon. All the test weapons performed without issue except for the US weapons which would not chamber a round and did not fire a single shot.

Mud Immersion Test. Condition of the rifles; bolt closed on an empty chamber with a loaded magazine inserted and the muzzle capped. The SSG took the rifles into the tidal pluff mud and rolled them in the mud until they were completely covered.
MKE and CZ rifles along with Serbian and Chinese AK’s were able to get one or two rounds fired before jamming. The US weapon wouldn’t even chamber a round. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue. The SSG operators commented that when conducting operations where they know they will pass through pluff mud the only weapon they will carry is the AK.

Sand Test. Condition of the weapons, the muzzles were capped, and a round chambered. The weapons were buried under two feet of sand and left to bake for one hour. The temperature was 56°C (133°F) in the shade. After the requisite bake, the weapons were dug up and test fired. The US weapon wouldn’t fire. The CZ and MKE rifle along with the Serbian and Chinese AKs were able to get one or two round fired before jamming. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue.

Mud Test. Condition of the weapons; the muzzles were capped, and a round chambered. Only the Chinese and Russian AK’s fired. The Chinese AK had a single jam and once cleared continued to run. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue.
 

Marliii

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Paki assault rifle competition.AK103 beat all,particularly in difficult conditions(mud,dust,snow,heat-which are staple for IA).Also shows difference in quality between russian made and copy kalashnikovs.


''Extreme Climate Test. Hot. 360 rounds loaded into magazines and three test weapons were conditioned at +60°C (140°F) for 12 hours. All the test weapons performed without issue except for the US weapons, all of which had the bolt catch fall out of the weapon during testing and one of which launched the muzzle break down range. ''

Cold. 720 rounds loaded into magazines and three test weapons were conditioned at -40°C (-40°F). Two cycles of 120x rounds fired from each weapon. All the test weapons performed without issue except for the US weapons which would not chamber a round and did not fire a single shot.

Mud Immersion Test. Condition of the rifles; bolt closed on an empty chamber with a loaded magazine inserted and the muzzle capped. The SSG took the rifles into the tidal pluff mud and rolled them in the mud until they were completely covered.
MKE and CZ rifles along with Serbian and Chinese AK’s were able to get one or two rounds fired before jamming. The US weapon wouldn’t even chamber a round. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue. The SSG operators commented that when conducting operations where they know they will pass through pluff mud the only weapon they will carry is the AK.

Sand Test. Condition of the weapons, the muzzles were capped, and a round chambered. The weapons were buried under two feet of sand and left to bake for one hour. The temperature was 56°C (133°F) in the shade. After the requisite bake, the weapons were dug up and test fired. The US weapon wouldn’t fire. The CZ and MKE rifle along with the Serbian and Chinese AKs were able to get one or two round fired before jamming. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue.

Mud Test. Condition of the weapons; the muzzles were capped, and a round chambered. Only the Chinese and Russian AK’s fired. The Chinese AK had a single jam and once cleared continued to run. The Russian Kalashnikov AK ran without issue.
Take all this paki tests with a grain of salt .they declared scar h and ak 103 the winners and then went on a wild goose chase for 10 years .then they make their own version of ar10 based rifle when the so called tests of them had poor results .made a crappy ak 103 copy and unlike us Pakis use their aks more like a SMG or carbine they literally call their type 56s SMGs they all ways loved their g3s and it's 7.62x51 round calibre
 

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