Country of origin |
India |
Entered service |
? |
Caliber |
5.56x45 mm |
Weight (with full magazine) |
4.03 kg |
Length |
895 mm |
Length (with folded stock) |
? |
Barrel length |
400
mm |
Muzzle velocity |
? |
Cyclic rate of fire |
650 - 700 rpm |
Practical rate of fire |
40 - 100 rpm |
Magazine capacity |
20, 30 rounds |
Sighting range |
? |
Range of effective fire |
400 m |
|
The
Excalibur is an improved version of the
INSAS
assault rifle. It was designed by Armament R&D Establishment (ARDE)
under Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The
INSAS is currently the primary weapon used by the Indian Army, which
is actually world's third largest army. The original INSAS rifle was
adopted back in 1998. It saw action in Kargil War (1999), Nepalese
Civil War (1996-2006) and the ongoing Naxalite-Maoist insurgency in
India. However the INSAS has reliability issues. It tends to jam at
high altitudes. Furthermore its magazines crack due to cold weather.
In terms of performance the INSAS is inferior compared to most
modern automatic rifles of the world. The new Excalibur rifle was
aimed to rectify the problems of the INSAS. The goal was to deliver
a reliable and cost effective weapon, which could replace the INSAS.
The Indian Army scrapped its 2011 tender for 66 000 multi-calibre
assault rifles as during tests the foreign weapons reportedly failed
to meet quality standards. The Indian Army decided to push on with
the indigenously developed Excalibur rifle to fill the operational
void. The new 'Make in India' policy adopted by the government
stresses the need of indigenization, especially in the defence
sector. The policy aims to reduce the dependence on foreign weapon
systems and services, opening the defence market to domestic
industries. The initial growth is predicted to be low as Indian
defence industries are currently not competitive on the global
level.
The Excalibur assault rifle is chambered for a standard NATO
5.56x45 mm ammunition. It features high ruggedness for battlefield
engagements and is lighter to handle than the INSAS.
This weapon has a folding buttstock and Picatinny-type rails
for mounting various scopes. The rifle also incorporates 'direct
gas-tapping angle', which reduces recoil during firing and abandons
the three round burst mode of INSAS rifle. Instead the Excalibur
features semi-auto and full-auto firing modes. New Plycarnoate
magazine for the rifle ensures good operability at high altitudes
without cracking. Test conducted in early 2015 were moderately
successful with only two stoppages during testing after firing 24
000 rounds. Such figure is close to the set standard of one
stoppage.
It was planned that after approval, around 600 000 Excalibur
rifles will be delivered to the Indian Army during the next couple
of years. A variant of the rifle firing 7.62 mm ammunition was also
in development.
 |
Article by RAKESH NAIR
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