Govt to acquire 425k modern carbines

The government has signed a ₹2,770-crore deal with two private firms to equip soldiers with 4.25 lakh (425k) modern close-quarter battle carbines, replacing the existing decades-old sub machine guns based on a 1940s design, director general infantry Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar said on Wednesday.

- Rahul Singh

The Army has completed the raising of 380 new specialist drone platoons called Ashni, it is on course to deploy 25 Bhairav light commando battalions over the next six months and the purchase of US-made Javelin antitank weapon is underway through the emergency procurement route. Kumar said at a media briefing ahead of Infantry Day on October 27, enumerating steps being taken to modernise the infantry. "The infantry transformation and modernisation philosophy hinges on the current operational realities while simultaneously planning for the envisaged future battlefield requirement. It involves upskilling, equipping and enhancing the capacit