A new 7.62 mm assault rifle for the Indian Army has been developed by the Ordinance Factory Board. The trials of the weapon will commence soon.
The rifle weighing 4.5 kgs is fully automatic and has two firing modes- single shot and automatic. It also has a lethal firing range of 500 metres.
The rifle also has a picatinny rail, a standard bracket on the gun, both above and below, where various accessories such as night-vision devices and under-barrel grenade launchers can be mounted. Basic trials were conducted during the development.
The trials will be conducted before the Project Management team which comprises representatives of the Army’s Infantry Directorate, Rifle Factory, Director General Quality Assurance and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Army has been trying to replace the INSAS. The Amry had launched a global tender for interchangeable barrels capable of firing both 5.56-mm and 7.62-mm-calibre bullets.
Once the rifle clears the PMT trials, it will be put through extensive field trials.
The Army has an initial requirement of 1,85,000 guns and much more later.
The OFB has so far supplied over 10 lakh INSAS (Indian National Small Arms System) rifles to the Army so far and the plan is to replace all of them.
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