Indian Army Set To Buy More Carbines, Bulletproof Vests

The Indian Army made a fresh demand for carbines and asked domestic arms producers for the potential supply of more than 425,000 guns meeting the required standards and released a request for information (RFI) for 47,627 bulletproof jackets.

According to the officials, the close-quarter carbines will be used by soldiers on the frontlines, including along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, where the two nations have been engaged in a tense standoff since May 2020.

In its request for information, the army stated that the force is looking to buy 5.56mm carbines with an effective range of at least 200 metre. 

The document, released on Thursday, also lists other requirements for the weapon with precision and dependability.

This development comes months after the defence ministry approved domestic defence procurement worth 28.732 crore, including carbines, armed drone swarms and bullet-proof jackets.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) acknowledged the need for military gear in July, saying it would help the defence manufacturing industry to become more self-reliant.