Small arms, big delays

india recently initiated one of the world's largest acquisitions of small weaponry. On February 13, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman cleared contracts for purchasing assault rifles, sniper rifles and light machine guns worth over Rs 15,000 crore-or over $2.5 billion-to equip the world's third-largest armed forces.
The ministry plans to buy 740,000 assault rifles for the three armed forces at Rs 12,280 crore, 5,719 sniper rifles worth Rs 982 crore and light machine guns worth Rs 1,819 crore under the fast track procedure.

These decisions signal the defence ministry's intent to prioritise equipping foot soldiers engaged in daily operations along the Line of Control and in counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. It is early days, however, for these acquisitions. DAC clearance is among the first stages in a lengthy acquisition process. There are over a dozen steps, beginning with requests for proposals to contract signing. A fast-track procedure only saves time in one area-the weapons trials. All other steps have to follow the cumbersome Defence Procurement Procedure guidelines. It could thus take three to five years before soldiers on the frontlines can set out on patrol with these modern weapons.

The plan to equip the infantry soldier with improved small weapons began after the 1999 Kargil War, but even today, nearly 20 years later, it remains a mirage. Army units continue to fight with World War II-era light machine guns and obsolete assault rifles without day/ night sights. Their state and non-state adversaries, meanwhile, have been using increasingly sophisticated small weapons.
Strangely enough, indecision and not budgetary constraints have been the main culprit in the army's inability to equip itself. A majority of these fast- track contracts are second, sometimes third acquisition attempts. Take, for instance, the army's need for a modern assault rifle to replace the indigenous INSAS rifle. The army changed specifications for this weapon three times in six years, or roughly once every two years. It first wanted a rifle that could shoot two types of cartridges-an AK-47 bullet and an INSAS bullet, then scrapped it for a modified INSAS rifle before scrapping that one too in favour of a new battle rifle.
Soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir have only now started getting fresh bulletproof jackets and helmets, after questions were raised in Parliament and followed up by then defence minister Manohar Parrikar's intervention in 2016. To that extent, this long-awaited new package for small arms could be a test case for the army's commitment to equipping its troops.