India fast-tracking replacement rifle
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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