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This is a list of some of the modern & historical equipment used by Indian Army. Most of the army equipment is imported, but efforts are being made to manufacture indigenous equipment. About 40 Ordnance Factories under control of Ordnance Factory board manufacture most of Army equipment like small arms, ammunition, armoured vehicles, artillery etc.
[edit] Modern Equipment
[edit] Small arms
[edit] Handguns
[edit] Sub-machine guns and carbines
[edit] Assault rifles
- RFI (Rifle Factory,Ishapore) SLR1A 7.62mmx51 mm NATO Assault Rifle, A modified license-produced FN FAL, This old work horse has now more or less been retired from IA service, most going to the police and paramilitary forces after reconditioning. Some however, remain in use.
- RFI SLR1C 7.62mmx51 mm, full Automatic variant of the SLR for use in APCs
- AK-7, clone of the AK-47
- INSAS 5.56mmx45 mm Assault Rifle
- Zittara Indian verizion of the IWI Israeli Micro-Tavor
- TAVOR TAR-21 5.56mmx45 mm, for special forces currently 3070 have been purchased from Israel 10
- KBK AKMS 7.62mmx39 mm, Polish AKS47-3
- AK47M1 7.62mmx39 mm, all black Bulgarian AK. Most of these have been imported for police and paramilitary forces
- Soviet AKM AKMS 7.62mmx39 mm
- East German MPi-KM MPi-KMS72 7.62mmx39 mm (Second hand)
- Romanian MPiKM series 7.62mmx39 mm, these are Romanian clones of the earstwhile East German rifles. Only external difference is the marking, finish and wooden instead of synthetic fruniture.
- Czech Vz.58 and Vz.58P 7.62mmx39 mm
[edit] Sniper rifles
[edit] Machine guns
- M60 7.62mmx51 mm
- MG 1B 7.62mmx51 mm, Indian made Bren- This is currently being retired. But may remain a while longer because of teething problems with its successor, the INSAS LMG
- MG 2A1 7.62mmx51 mm, Indian made MAG 58
- MG 5A 7.62mmx51 mm This is the Indian manufactured Co-axial MAG 58
- MG 6A 7.62mmx51 mm Another Indian version of the MAG58 specifically designed as a tank commanders gun.
- INSAS 5.56mmx45 mm LMG
- FN-Browning M1919 .30Cal, in very limited quantities
- Browning M2 machine gun .50cal, heavy machine gun in very limited numbers
[edit] Projectile launchers
[edit] Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
[edit] Armoured vehicles
A
T-90 Bhishma tank on display.
[edit] Main Battle Tanks
- Arjun MBT Mk1 - main battle tanks (65). The Army has ordered production of this tank and the first batch of 53 of the ordered 124 tanks has already rolled out of the Avadi factory and are currently being put through trials to check the quality control of the production process. The remaining tanks will follow thereafter. Indian Army had bought 12 of these tanks for testing.
- T-90S Bhishma - main battle tanks (410). Over 1000 more T-90S will be manufactured in India by 2010. India may sign a new contract for 350 additional T-90 tanks from Russia.[2] [3].
- T-72 M1 Ajeya - main battle tanks (1,925). 268 T72M1 are upgraded by the Heavy vehicles factory (HVF). While requests for proposal for upgrading approximately 1000 other T-72's have been sent to various firms in Israel, Russia, Poland and France.
- Vijayanta (1,800): being phased out
- T-55 (900): Some of the T-55 tanks will be attached to infantry brigades and battalions, as Tarmour AFV since despite their vintage, the 105 mm L7 gun has substantial firepower.[2]
[edit] Armoured fighting vehicles
- BMP-1 (700) and BMP-2 (900+)Sarath - mechanised infantry combat vehicles relegated the OT-62/64 to mortar carriers. The BMP-2 are now being modernized with TISAS (thermal imaging stand alone sights), better fire control, and more modern ATGM armament (Konkurs M). BMP-1 has been phased out and the upgraded BMP-2 is BMP-2 M with two thermobaric missiles and two tandem warhead Konkurs missiles. Its also has an integrated TI sight and an LRF. Has an AGL mounted on the turret which is also stablised in the horizontal plane.
- An indigenous AFV called Abhay ("Fearless") is under development.
- Aditya Mine protected vehicle (250 by November 2007) - The Army has a requirement of 1400 such vehicles.
- BRDM-2 (110) amphibious reconnaissance vehicles. Armed with anti-tank missiles.
- Ferret armoured cars (100) - Used for internal security duties.
[edit] Artillery
- Under Field Artillery Rationalization Plan, Indian Army plans to procure 3000 to 4000 155 mm Towed, Wheeled and Tracked Artillery Systems. [4][5]
[edit] Towed artillery
- 155 mm Bofors FH-77B
- Haubits FH77/A (370) - Upgraded Soltam M-46 155 mm towed howitzers
- M-46 130 mm field guns replacing the 105 mm IFG Mk1/2/3
- 122 mm D-30 towed howitzers (To be phased out)
- 105 mm Light Field Gun (To be phased out)
- 105 mm Indian Field Gun (To be phased out)
- Metamorphosis 155 mm GUN by upgrading present M46 130 mm with a maximum range of 39 k.m.
[edit] Self propelled artillery
- Abbot (105 mm) and M-46 Catapult (130 mm) to be replaced by 3600 new 155 mm self-propelled howitzers by 2025. On the short list is the Denel LIW T6 turreted Arjun and the Celsius (Bofors) FH-77AD[6][7] The Polish licensed version of the AS-90 self-propelled artillery is also considered.
- Bhim-Initial reports that the Arjun hull might be used with a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer by fitting the South African T6 turret which has the G5 howitzer fitted, proved to be misfounded. The SPH would be integrated at Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, which would manufacture additional Arjun chassis & hulls for the purpose. At present, the Bhim SPH program is in limbo, since Denel has been temporarily blacklisted by the Indian Ministry of Defence, while corruption charges are being investigated.
[edit] Multiple rocket launchers
- Smerch 9K58 MBRL (38) - 300 mm multiple rocket launch system. Further order for 24 units will be completed by 2010.[8]
- Pinaka MBRL - 214 mm multiple rocket launch system replacing the 122 mm BM-21. 80 launchers to be inducted by 2009.[9]
- BM-21 (150+) - Modernized rockets with range of 40 km was purchased from Russia. To be replaced by Pinaka.
[edit] Air defence
Surface to air missile Systems
- Akash- Under Trials. Due to delays in the Akash missile program the ZRK-SD Kvadrat / SA-6a Gainful air defence systems are being upgraded.
- SA-6 Gainful- The Indian Army has sought to upgrade its SA-6 Kvadrat and SA-8 Missile systems whilst the Akash gets ready. The Indian magazine "Strategic Affairs " (No. 0011/ Issue: December 16) noted: "Poland has won an order worth $200 m from India to upgrade 100 Kvadrat (SA6) and 50 OSA-AKM (SA8) mobile surface to air missiles. The contract made public in August, is to be completed by 2002. The upgrades include integration of new radars, communications and control systems, improvements to the launch vehicle including new power packs. The Kvadrat upgrade includes new electronics for better electronic counter measures, passive infra-red search and track sensors."
- SA-10 [10]
- Trishul- Under Trials. Due to delays in the Trishul missile program the OSA-AKM / SA-8b Gecko air defence systems are being upgraded.
- SA-8 Gecko- In Service
- SA-13 Gopher- In Service
MANPADS
Air Defense Artillery
[edit] Surface to surface missiles
- Brahmos Land Attack Cruise Missile-[12][13]
- Prithvi-I Short Range Ballistic Missile (500km) - In Service
- Agni-I Medium Range Ballistic Missile (700km)- In Service
- Agni-II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (2500km)- In Service
- Agni-III Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (3500km)- Under final trial before induction.
- Agni-III* Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (5000km)- Under Trials
[edit] Non-combat vehicles
[edit] Engineering Vehicles
- Bridge Layer Tank using a T-72 chassis and Kartik Armoured Bridgelayer on a Vijayanta chassis - armoured vehicle-launched bridges
- Multi-Hop and Extended Span Assault Bridges on T-72 chassis
- Sarvatra - 8x8 truck-mounted bridging system
- VT-72B ARV (200+) and WZT-3 ARV (124, 228 to be delivered by 2007) - armoured recovery vehicle replacing the Vijayanta ARV
- BMP-2 Armoured Amphibious Dozer and Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle (ERV)
[edit] Mine protected vehicles
[edit] Logistic vehicles
- Stallion 4x4 Truck for GS Role
- Ashok Leyland Truck Fire Fighting
- Ashok Leyland 5kl Water Bowser
- Ashok Leyland Light Recovery Vehicle 4x4
- Mahindra - light multi-role 4x4
- Rampar - amphibious 4x4
[edit] Aircraft
- This is a list of aircraft of the Indian Army. For the list of aircraft of the Indian Air Force, see List of aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
[edit] Future Procurements
Light Utility Helicopter: The Indian army has projected a requirement for up to 197 light helicopters to replace its aging fleet of Chetaks and Cheetahs. The Indian Army chose the Eurocopter AS 550 under a US$550 million contract in summer of 2007. Under this contract 60 helicopters were to be supplied from Eurocopter in fly-away condition and the rest were to be assembled by HAL in India. This order was later scrapped due to allegations of unfair field trials from competing company Bell Helicopters. [15] [16]
[edit] References
India
Israel
