Excalibur rifle

Last updated
Excalibur rifle
Excalibur AR with red dot scope and bayonet.jpg
Excalibur rifle with red dot scope/bayonet.
Type Assault rifle
Place of originIndia
Service history
In service2017
Production history
Designed2004
ManufacturerRifle Factory Ishapore
Produced2012-present
No. built20,000+ [1]
Specifications
Mass3.81 kg (8.4 lb) (without magazine)
4.03 kg (8.9 lb) (with full magazine) [2]
Length895 mm (35.2 in) [2]
Barrel  length400 mm (16 in) [2]
Cartridge 5.56×45mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 650-700 rounds/min [2]
Muzzle velocity 900  m/s (2,953  ft/s)
Effective firing range450m [3]
Feed system20/30-round detachable box magazine [2]
SightsIn-built iron sights, Picatinny rails for mounting telescopic or night sights

The Excalibur is an assault rifle derived from the INSAS rifle, the standard rifle of the Indian Armed Forces and, to a lesser extent, the Indian Police Service. The Excalibur has many improvements over the INSAS rifle and was slated to replace it as the Indian Army's standard assault rifle; however, the Indian Army put the replacement out to tender in September 2016. [4] Many police forces in India have procured the Excalibur in limited numbers.

Contents

It is manufactured by Ordnance Factory Board in Rifle Factory Ishapore. [5]

History

The Indian Army used the INSAS rifle from the late 1990s, and the rifle saw action during the Kargil War. The INSAS was said to be plagued with many reliability issues like cracking of the polymer magazines because of cold weather, oil being sprayed in the user's eyes and the rifle going into automatic mode when set on 3-round burst (the INSAS does not have an automatic mode).

In November 2011, the Indian Army sent a request for proposal (RFP) to 34 vendors for 65,678 multi-calibre rifles for about ₹ 2,500 crore (US$ 400 million). [6] [7] The tender also included a license to manufacture about 100,000 more rifles in India, with a total expenditure of the phasing out estimated at ₹ 5,500 crore (US$ 900 million). [8] Similar tenders for a carbine and a LMG were also issued. [9] However, the Army sent a letter to the manufacturers on 15 June 2015, to notify them that the tender had been retracted. [10] In July 2015, it was reported that the INSAS may be replaced by the Modified INSAS rifle (MIR), which is based on the Excalibur. The decision was taken by General Dalbir Singh, who wanted an indigenous rifle. [11] [12]

After cancelling the tender, the army decided to pursue the new Excalibur rifle developed by the ARDE as a replacement for the older INSAS rifles.

On 3 July 2016, the Indian media reported that the Indian Army had rejected the Excalibur for its standard issue assault rifle as it did not match the requirements standard of the army. [13] [14]

In September 2016 the Indian Army announced that it was launching a tender for 185,000 7.62×51mm-caliber assault rifles. [4] The Indian Army in October 2016 announced that Excalibur rifles will be adopted as an interim assault rifle until a suitable replacement is found. [15] [16]

In June 2017, the Excalibur was announced to have failed tests due to concerns about quality control and ineffective firepower. [17]

In July 2018, the Indian Army announced that plans to adopt the Excalibur will not proceed. [18]

Design

Design of the assault rifle first started in 2004. [19]

Prototype

The prototype incorporates a direct gas-tapping angle to reduce the recoil. The rifle would have automatic and single shot modes. The three-round burst mode of the INSAS has been dropped. The rifle would have a folding butt and a standard Picatinny rail. By September 2015, it had passed the water and mud tests, which four of the foreign rifles in the tender competition had failed. It was also reported 200 rifles were being manufactured and that prototype would undergo formal trials in late 2015. [20]

Tests

The MIR had two stoppages after firing 24,000 rounds, which was very close the army's specification of one stoppage. [11] It was also reported that another prototype of Excalibur, AR-2, was being prepared which would fire 7.62×39mm rounds. [11]

Final

The final designs incorporated picatinny rails on the upper receiver with an improved design for the polycarbonate magazine. [12]

Operators

Flag of India.svg  India

Failed Contracts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steyr AUG</span> Austrian bullpup assault rifle

The Steyr AUG is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Security Force</span> Indian Border police deployed near Bangladesh and Pakistan

The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation at its borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 "for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for connected matters therewith".

The INSAS, or Indian Small Arms System, is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). These weapons were developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Board at its various factories. It was the standard infantry weapon of the Indian Armed Forces for almost three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Designated marksman rifle</span> Scoped high-precision rifles used by infantry

A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high-precision rifle used by infantry in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at around 300–600 metres (330–660 yd).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Bengal Police</span> Indian state police force

The West Bengal Police is one of the two police forces of the Indian state of West Bengal. The other being the Kolkata Police, which has a separate jurisdiction across Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rifle Factory Ishapore</span> Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit

The Rifle Factory Ishapore is an Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit located at Ichhapur in the state of West Bengal.

In India, the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Pune, it is the main DRDO lab involved in the development of conventional armaments.

F-INSAS is India's programme to equip its infantry with state-of-the-art equipment, F-INSAS standing for Future Infantry Soldier As a System. However the Indian Army has decided to drop the F-INSAS program in favour of two separate projects. The new program will have two components: one to arm the future infantry soldier with the best available assault rifle, carbines and personal equipment, such as helmets and bulletproof vests. The second component is the Battlefield Management Systems (BMS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beretta ARX160</span> Assault rifle

The Beretta ARX160 is an Italian modular assault rifle manufactured by Beretta. Developed for the Italian Armed Forces as part of the Soldato Futuro program, the ARX160 was launched in 2008 as a commercial weapon system independent from the Soldato Futuro ensemble, complete with a companion single-shot 40×46mm NATO low-velocity grenade launcher, called the GLX160, which can be mounted underneath the rifle or used with an ad hoc stock system as a stand-alone weapon.

The 5.56×30mm MINSAS is a firearm cartridge manufactured by India's Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for close-quarters combat use. It has an effective range of 300 metres (980 ft) and good penetration against body armor. OFB claims it exhibits penetration superior to 9mm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Venture Protective Carbine</span> Type of submachine gun

The Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC), also known as Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) until 2014, is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, select fire carbine designed to chamber the 5.56×30mm MINSAS cartridge. It was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and by Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited. It was intended as a replacement for the 9mm Sterling submachine gun in service with the Indian Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IWI Galil ACE</span> Series of assault and battle rifles

The IWI Galil ACE is a series of assault rifles and battle rifles originally developed and manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). It is produced in three different calibres: 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG Sauer SIG516</span> Assault rifle (SIG516)

The SIG Sauer SIG516 is a rifle manufactured by SIG Sauer. It is an AR-15 style rifle chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO. Introduced in 2010, the SIG516 was discontinued as of 2019 after the introduction of the SIG MCX. A variant chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, the SIG716i, remains in production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli</span> Defence Production Company of India

Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT), also called Ordnance Factory Trichy, is a small arms factory operated by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited based in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, which was previously part of Ordnance Factory Board of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The company is headed only by an IOFS officer called General Manager (ex officio Additional Secretary to Government of India) who is the chief executive officer, responsible for the overall management of the company.

The 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, is a single shot grenade launcher developed by ARDE and Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli for use with the INSAS and AK-47 rifles used by the Indian Army. Stand alone versions of the grenade launcher exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System</span> Assault rifle

Multi Calibre Individual Weapon System (MCIWS) is an assault rifle developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It was first seen at the DEFEXPO 2014 exhibition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amogh carbine</span> Indian weapon

The Amogh Carbine is a select-fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by Ordnance Factories Board. It is a derivative of the Excalibur rifle, which in turn is a development of the INSAS rifle.

Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) is a rifle-manufacturing facility in Korwa, Amethi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Founded in 2019, the factory is manufacturing the AK-200 variant of the Kalashnikov family of rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASMI</span> Submachine gun

The Asmi is an Indian prototype submachine gun. It was designed and developed in 2020 by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, but has not been put into service.

References

  1. ↑ "Assault Rifles". PIB India. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ordnance Factory Board". ofbindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Press India Bureau. "Excalibur Rifle 5.56mm". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 The Times of India (28 September 2016). "Once again, Army starts global hunt for a new-generation assault rifle". timesofindia.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Peri, Dinakar (7 July 2016). "Excalibur rifle awaits certification trials". NEW DELHI: The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Army issues global tender for new assault rifles". Zee News . 30 November 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Five cos left in race to supply multi-calibre rifles to Army". Business Standard . 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Guns and Butter in Billion-dollar Arms Deal". 21 September 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "INSAS-weary army shops for new infantry arms". The New Indian Express . 16 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Army scraps the world's largest assault rifle tender". India Today . 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Unnithan, Sandeep (5 July 2015). "Exclusive: Made in India rifles to replace INSAS". Mail Today. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Indian Army cancels rifle, carbine tenders". Jane's Defence Weekly . 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "Army hunts for lethal assault rifle, junks DRDO's Excalibur". Economic Times. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Indian army throw plan to induct desi rifle". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Dmilt.com - India; Army agrees to adopt Excalibur rifles – as interim solution | Asia | News". Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "IA to induct Excalibur as interim assault rifle | IHS Jane's 360". web.archive.org. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ↑ "Indian Army rejects indigenously made rifles for second year in a row". 21 June 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  18. 1 2 "Army hunts for lethal assault rifle junks DRDO's Excalibur" . Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Important Milestones". Rfi.nic.in. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Army prepares for crucial trials as chief insists on indigenous Excalibur". Business Standard . 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  21. ↑ Chanda, Rahul (12 May 2018). "Is Assam police prepared for counter insurgency operations" . Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "Policeman on security duty at Chhattisgarh minister's bungalow shoots self, investigation underway". DNA India. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "Karnataka Police Face Huge Weapon Shortage, Says CAG Report". 17 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "Manipur Police Training College – Official Website Manipur Police".
  25. ↑ The Times of India (6 August 2016). "Excalibur muscle for Bengal police". timesofindia.com. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  26. ↑ NYOOOZ (6 August 2016). "Excalibur muscle for Bengal police". nyoooz.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.