India’s assault rifle battle sizzles
An RfP to replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56mm assault rifle for the Indian Army is caught in a bind.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) insists the indigenous Excalibur, an INSAS derivative, is the weapon of choice. The army, however, wants an internationally proven product.
‘We are reviewing which category to go for. We haven’t decided as yet,’ LtGen Subrata Saha, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Planning and Systems) told Shephard.
So serious is the conflict that the final decision will now be made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, a Ministry of Defence (MoD)
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