Army turns down assault rifles manufactured by Ordinance Factory Board

With India still importing 65 percent of its military requirements, PM Modi has favoured making the country self-reliant in the defence sector.

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Delhi: The Army has said that home-made assault rifles that were meant to replace AK-47s and Indian Small Arms System rifles​ (INSAS) were not good enough, as per a media report.

According to NDTV, the indigenous assault rifle manufactured by the government's Ordinance Factory Board (OFB) failed basic tests last week, which included, excessive recoil and "excessive flash and sound signature".

The media house quoted sources as saying that a "complete redesigning of the magazine" was needed to make loading the rifle easier.

They further quoted sources as saying that safety mechanisms were also problematic with the rifle which had an "excessive number of faults and stoppages (during trials) to the extent of more than twenty times the maximum permissible standards."

At the same time, Army had rejected an earlier indigenous rifle called the Excalibur last year.

Armymen at present are using AK-47s and INSAS, which are made in India.

They were inducted in the Army in 1988.

Moving towards making India self-reliant in Defence: PM Modi

Meanwhile, in Lucknow yesterday, with India still importing 65 percent of its military requirements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly favoured making the country self-reliant in the defence sector.

"We are moving forward with the dream of making India self-dependent in the field of defence and security," he had said at the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) here.

"Can we not make India self-reliant in defence sector?" PM Modi had asked, as per PTI.

We are marching ahead with this dream and for this we have made policy changes and allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the defence sector, he had pointed out.

PM Modi's message towards making the country self-reliant in the defence sector came against the backdrop of the government finalising a policy under which private sector companies will be roped-in to manufacture hi- tech equipment like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

(With Agency inputs)