A US Marine fires a M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon at the Pohakuloa Training Area, on the big island of Hawaii
Operational Context
India’s regional security environment is marked by instability in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Instability around India emanates from Afghanistan’s prolonged civil war despite US intervention and the overthrow of the Taliban regime; tense relations of Afghanistan with Iran and the Central Asian Republics (CARs); Pakistan’s struggle against the remnants of al Qaeda and the Taliban, fissiparous tendencies in Balochistan and Pakhtoonkhwa, the rise of Jihadi Islam, increasing levels of Shia-Sunni violence and Pakistan’s gradual slide towards becoming a ‘failed state’; Sri Lanka’s continued inability to find a solution to the issue of Tamil eelam (autonomy); Bangladesh’s gradual emergence as a new centre of Islamist fundamentalist terrorism and its struggle for economic upliftment; the volatility of Nepal’s Maoist-dominated fledgling democracy; the simmering discontent in Tibet; and, Myanmar’s polarisation between the military junta and democracy. The foremost causes of regional instability are the collusive nuclear weaponscum-missile development programme of China, North Korea and Pakistan, the rise of Islamist fundamentalism, the nexus between narcotics trafficking and terrorism, the proliferation of small arms, the instability inherent in the rule of despotic regimes and a host of other vitiating factors.
With personnel strength of approximately 1.1 million soldiers, the Indian army and the central armed police forces (CAPF), including the BSF, ITBP, CRPF and the state police forces, have made a huge contribution towards keeping the nation together, particularly in facing internal security challenges. India’s first rate army has been saddled for long with obsolescent weapons and equipment, despite heavy operational commitments on border management and in counter-insurgency operations that require large numbers of manpower-heavy infantry battalions. Similarly, the CAPF are ill-equipped to face militant organisations that are often well armed and need to be modernised. However, like army modernisation, police modernisation has also been virtually at a standstill.
Imperatives for Infantry Modernisation
Despite unresolved territorial and boundary disputes with both China and Pakistan, there is stability at the strategic level. Though the possibility of conventional conflict cannot be ruled out, the probability of either China or Pakistan attempting to resolve their respective territorial disputes through military force is low. Even globally, the pendulum is tending to swing from state-on-state conventional conflict to sub conventional conflict or LIC in which nonstate actors pose a serious threat. (See Chart 1). Proxy war with China, insurgencies in the northeast and left wing extremism in central India are likely to continue in the short to medium term (Chart 2).
As the Indian army is extensively engaged in ongoing internal security and counter-insurgency operations and simultaneously needs to prepare itself for a future border conflict that may spill over to a larger conventional war in the plains, there is a need to upgrade the internal security and counter-insurgency capabilities of infantry battalions as well as to enhance their firepower-mobility-EW (electronic warfare) punch for a possible war in the plains or mountains.
Chart 1: Changing Character of Conflict
Despite its large-scale deployment on border management and extensive commitments in internal security and counter-insurgency operations, modernisation of the army’s cutting edge infantry battalions has been languishing for several decades. Modernisation plans are aimed at enhancing their capability for surveillance and target acquisition at night and boosting their firepower for precise retaliation against infiltrating columns and terrorists holed up in built-up areas. The army plans to equip them with several force multipliers,including a modular weapon with a thermal imaging sight, UBGL, a modern rocket launcher and laser range finder that will replace the INSAS rifle, a combat helmet equipped with a head-up display and communications head set, a smart vest with a body monitoring system, a back pack with integrated GPS and radio and protective footwear. Plans also include the acquisition of hand-held battlefield surveillance radars (BFSRs) and hand-held thermal imaging devices (HHTIs) for observation at night. Standalone infra-red, seismic and acoustic sensors will be acquired in large numbers to enable infantrymen to dominate the Line of Control (LoC) and detect infiltration. The new combat system is expected to be built indigenously with COTS components and is expected to cost over Rs 25,000 crore to equip 350 infantry battalions. Almost 65 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), about 45 Assam Rifles battalions as also 30 Territorial Army battalions are also to be modernised.
Chart 2: Sub-conventional Conflict Scenario
5.56 mm or 7.62 mm Assault Rifle: The Calibre Dilemma
During battle an infantryman is required to close-in with the enemy and his basic weapon for close combat is an assault rifle. Since 1998, the Indian army has been equipped with the 5.56 mm Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS). During and after the Kargil conflict in 1999, many problems were reported while using INSAS rifles. Complaints of frequent jamming, the magazine cracking due to the cold and the rifle going into automatic mode when it was set for three-round bursts have been commonplace. There is also the issue of oil being sprayed into the eye of the soldier and injuries have been reported during firing practice. Though the DRDO has tried to resolve these issues, the user has not been satisfied.
The army’s efforts to replace the malfunctioning 5.56 mm INSAS rifle, with a fault-free modern assault rifle, have been hanging fire for over ten years, partly because the army kept vacillating between 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm as the standard calibre for its future assault rifle. One school of thought hypothesised that it is better to injure enemy soldiers during war rather than killing them as an injury means four soldiers will get involved in casualty evacuation. On the other hand, in counter insurgency operations it is the other way around. A stage came when it was being debated whether both 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm inter-changeable barrels should be issued to infantry battalions.
While the infantry is going back to the 7.62 mm calibre, which is heavier and has a longer range, according to Ajai Shukla, a defence analyst, the second type of weapon, which will arm personnel in infantry battalions other than those in the four rifle companies and the commando platoon plus all non-infantry units, is optimised for counter-insurgency operations, being lighter and with a smaller bullet that a soldier can carry in larger numbers. This implies that the rest of the army will be equipped with an indigenously manufactured 5.56 mm rifle. While the solution may be cost effective, the provisioning, stocking and replenishment of two types of ammunition will certainly be a logistics challenge. Handling two types of ammunition within the same infantry battalion will be a nightmare for the Quarter Master and his staff.
Procurement Plans
The army needs to procure approximately 800,000 assault rifles at a cost of about Rs 16,000 crore for its 450 infantry and Rashtriya Rifles battalions (each battalion has 800 personnel). Till recently It had been believed that the army planned to import 65,678 larger calibre 7.62 mm rifles that are more lethal, with another 120,000 to be made in India. There have been repeated cancellations of ongoing acquisitions in recent years due to various glitches in the procurement process. The salient cancellations include the acquisition of 65,678 assault rifles and 44,600 carbines, in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Lt Gen P C Katoch (Retd) wrote in early 2013: “The assault rifles under consideration were the Heckler & Koch, G 36 modular 5.56 mm assault rifle (German), the Beretta 70/90 (Italy), SAR 21 of Singapore Technologies, XM 8 (USA), Steyr A3 (Austria), Tavor TAR 21 5.56mm and IMI Galil 7.62mm from Israel, Arsenal AK-74 (Bulgaria), Herstal F-2000 (Belgium) and SIG SG 551 (Switzerland) among others.”
Nammo M-72 being used by US forces preparing for overseas deployment
In an interview with Ajai Shukla, General Bipin Rawat, the COAS, had said in November 2017 that he had decided to import only 250,000 state-of-the-art assault rifles. These rifles of 7.62 mm calibre would be issued to combat infantrymen who are required to close-in with the enemy. The COAS said, “Since a state-of-the-art assault rifle will cost about Rs 200,000 each in the global market, let us issue these only to frontline infantry soldiers who confront the enemy armed only with their rifles… Let us provide a cheaper indigenous option to other soldiers, for whom the rifle is not a primary weapon.” The army is working along these lines.
It was reported in August 2017 that the MoD had retracted the RfP (Request for Proposal) for the acquisition of 44,000 7.62 mm Light Machine Guns (LMGs) on the grounds that “it had become a single-vendor situation with only the Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) left in the fray after protracted trials from December 2015 to February 2017.” Approximately 4,400 LMGs were to be imported; the rest were to be manufactured in India with ToT. All of these acquisitions were cancelled after a long-drawn tendering process and protracted trials. The projects have been delayed by five to seven years.
As the private sector is being gradually permitted to manufacture arms and ammunition and even export these, Indian companies are coming forward to form joint ventures with MNCs. In the field of small arms, among others, Punj Lloyd is collaborating with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) to manufacture small arms under a technology transfer arrangement. The first plant will manufacture weapons like the Ace, X95 and Tavor assault rifles (Tavor is already in service with India’s Special Forces), the Galil sniper rifle and the Negev light machine gun. As Indian engineers and managers begin to gain experience in the design, development and manufacture of weapons systems, such ventures will contribute to achieving self-reliance in defence acquisitions.
Other Infantry Acquisitions
A global tender for 43,000 close-quarter battle carbines was issued in early-2008. The acquisition was to be followed by the local manufacture of approximately 1,17,000 carbines. However, the acquisition fell through. Other plans include the procurement of approximately 250 Kornet-E anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) with thermal imaging sights, which will substantially increase the antitank capability of infantry battalions and 200 hand-held BFSRs with practical ranges up to seven to eight km where clear line of sight is available. These will be followed by the acquisition of 2,000 hand-held thermal imaging devices (HHTIs) with ranges up to 2,000 metres for observation at night and stand-alone infra-red, seismic and acoustic sensors with varying capabilities will enable infantrymen to dominate the Line of Control so completely that infiltration will come down to almost a trickle.
The newly acquired weapons, which complement surveillance and observation devices, include: 1,500x84 mm rocket launchers, including some disposable ones; 1,000 AMRs (anti-material rifles); 8,000 UBGLs (under-barrel grenade launchers); 4,000 new generation carbines; 300 bullet proof vehicles; and several hundred accurate sniper rifles. However, the numbers acquired and the ammunition stocks are still inadequate and need to be augmented rapidly. While the INSAS 5.56 mm assault rifles have now been in service for almost 10 years, the light machine gun (LNG) version is still facing teething problems and the carbine version for close quarter battle has not found favour with the army. New 5.56 mm assault rifles of bull-pup design with an integrated laser range finder and grenade launcher are under development. Efforts are also being made to provide infantry platoons and sections with integrated GPS-based navigation system, secure light-weight walkie-talkie radio sets and better protective gear with a helmet that incorporates a built-in head-up display. The army’s infantry battalions also need their own mini or micro UAVs like Elbit’s Skylark or Rafael’s Skylite, among others, to partly reduce the extent of patrolling necessary in internal security environment and to improve their surveillance capability in conventional conflict. These UAVs should have a range of about 10 to 15 km, should be light-weight (less than 10 kg), hand-launched, carry a single payload, e.g. a daylight video camera or infra-red camera for night operations, and should be inexpensive enough to be dispensable. A mini ground control station should be authorised at battalion HQ for planning and control. Ideally, these should be indigenously designed and developed and locally manufactured.
A new DRDO project, that is reported to be ongoing, aims to equip future soldiers with lightweight force multipliers. Soldiers of the future will have miniaturised communication and GPS systems, small power packs, weapons platforms and smart vests with fibre-optic sensors. The soldiers will also have better and lighter combat fatigues, boots, belts, ammunition pouches, rucksacks and rations in the form of ready-to-eat-meals.
Rocket Launchers: Handy Platoon and Section-level Firepower
Ultimately an infantryman has to be prepared to engage in close combat and firepower and mobility can make a difference between life and death. In recent conflicts soldiers have had to operate autonomously at section and platoon level. Units could be fighting in a city or jungle in one tenure and in mountainous terrain during the next. Some of these skirmishes are conducted at less than 100metres in an urban environment. Such actions require engagements against light and heavy masonry walls, earthen fortifications and vehicles. Other engagements take place at extended range, beyond several hundred meters, rendering conventional firearms and grenades marginally effective. The size and weight of existing weapon systems to handle these scenarios are prohibitive for dismounted operations. Flexibility is a key characteristic of modern infantry tactics. Infantry must be able to quickly and efficiently respond to any threats they encounter.
Indian Army jawans during counter-insurgency operations
Indian Army and Shoulder Launched Munitions
The Indian army has over 50 years of experience in counter-insurgency operations. Its counter-insurgency doctrine emphasises the use of minimum force. Troops are permitted to use only light weapons such as rifles and carbines against insurgent groups. When there is no choice but to use heavier calibre weapons like machine guns and rocket launchers, senior commanders must personally approve their use. It is often said that the army fights with one hand tied behind the back.
The Indian infantry’s standard heavy weapon at the platoon level is the 84 mm Carl Gustav rocket launcher, an older version that weighs roughly 13 kg. The army inducted the Carl Gustav in the late 1980s and since then, these weapons systems have become a vital part of the infantry, as also of the CAPF.
The 66 mm Nammo M72 SLM weighs roughly 3.5 kg. Due to its weight to power ratio, this weapon is truly an infantryman’s friend. The M72 is considerably lighter that the existing competitors and is combat proven, lethal and simple to use. The US Military (regular and special forces) has successfully used the M72 family of weapons since the Vietnam War and the weapon is in extensive use in conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The M72 Lightweight Assault Weapon (LAW) provides unmatched firepower to the dismounted Soldier. The M72 LAW is disposable, effective, easy to use and importantly highly portable. The lightweight and compact nature of the weapon enables soldiers to carry multiple M72’s at one time. This allows light infantry, early entry, airborne and Special Forces Users to be prepared for multiple engagements without the need for resupply. Nammo has several variants of the system; providing soldiers with the capability to destroy structures and vehicles or penetrate light armor and reinforced concrete walls.
The M72A5/A7 shaped charge penetrator is designed for light armour, vehicles and light clad buildings with armour penetration of 300mm or 150mm respectively. Other deep armour penetrator variants are available if required. The M72A9 Anti Structure Munition or M72 ASM Reduced Caliber are specifically designed to penetrate buildings and detonate with increased pressure and fragmentation (M72A9 only).
M72s is highly sought after choice among today’s modern military forces. The Nammo systems provide even small military forces with the capability to quickly and decisively respond to any threat, large or small, through a mix of these highly effective force multiplier systems. Military leaders can feel confident they’ve made the right choice when selecting a Nammo weapon system.
Nammo M-72 shoulder launched, lightweight assault weapon
The current threats facing India, both internal and external, clearly point to the fact that India needs to re-define its arsenal of infantry weapons and look at lighter weapons with not only increased punching power, but importantly a weapon that also limits collateral damage. Limiting collateral damage is important as most of the current conflicts in which India is engaged are in urban or semi-urban areas, where the loss of an innocent life can have long term repercussions. The newly formed mountain division that will eventually be facing China will also need to be equipped with an arsenal that supports soldiers moving in high altitude terrain and facing an enemy that may have a superiority in numbers. A few M72s on the back of a platoon could possibly stop the advancing enemy, giving enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
Concluding Observations
Infantry modernisation plans received a major boost when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by N. Sitharaman, Raksha Mantri, accorded approval in principle to several weapons systems for the infantry. These include the procurement of Light Machine Guns for the three Services through the Fast Track Procedure at an estimated cost of Rs 1,819 crore. The balance quantity will be procured under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ category.
The procurement of 7,40,000 Assault Rifles was approved under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ category at an estimated cost of Rs 12,280 crore. The DAC also approved the procurement of 5,719 Sniper Rifles for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs 982 crore under the ‘Buy Global’ category. However, while the ammunition for these will be initially procured from abroad, subsequently it will be manufactured in India. According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release of February 2018, “In the last one month, to equip the soldiers on the border with modern and more effective equipment, the DAC has fast tracked procurement of the three main personal weapons, i.e., Rifles, Carbines and Light Machine Guns.”
As the Indian Army is deployed in large numbers on border management and internal security duties, even as it trains for a two-front war, the inordinate delays in the replacement of the army’s obsolescent weapons and equipment and the inability to undertake qualitative modernisation to meet future threats and challenges are worrisome. The modernisation plans of India’s cutting edge infantry battalions, which are aimed at enhancing their capability for surveillance and target acquisition at night and boosting their firepower for precise retaliation both in conventional conflict and against infiltrating columns and terrorists holed up in built-up areas, were till now stuck in an acquisition quagmire. Hopefully, these will now gather some momentum.
Gurmeet
Kanwal (The autho is former Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS),
New Delhi).