India is fast-tracking development of the indigenous rifle for the Indian Army and paramilitary organisations.
It is developing a 5.56x45mm Excalibur rifle to fill a capability gap after cancellation of its Multi-Calibre Assault Rifle (MCAR) programme,
Two hundred gas-operated rifles fabricated by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) will undergo trials in late 2015 and, if the design is approved, the MoD will acquire more than 600,000 units for $541 million.
The ‘Make in India’ Excalibur is described as a retrofitted Indian Small Arms System (INSAS, pictured above), of the problematic 5.56mm rifle that has been in service since the late
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The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
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