Excalibur rifle

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Excalibur rifle
Excalibur rifle with red dot scope/bayonet.
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originIndia
Service history
In service2017
Production history
Designed2004
ManufacturerRifle Factory Ishapore
Produced2012-present
No. built20,000+[1]
Specifications
Mass3.81 kg (8.4 lb) (without magazine)
4.03 kg (8.9 lb) (with full magazine)[2]
Length895 mm (35.2 in)[2]
Barrel length400 mm (16 in)[2]
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire650-700 rounds/min[2]
Muzzle velocity900 m/s (2,953 ft/s)
Effective firing range450m[3]
Feed system20/30-round detachable box magazine[2]
SightsIn-built iron sights, Picatinny rails for mounting telescopic or night sights

The Excalibur is an assault rifle derived from the INSAS rifle, the standard rifle of the Indian Armed Forces and, to a lesser extent, the Indian Police Service. The Excalibur has many improvements over the INSAS rifle and was slated to replace it as the Indian Army's standard assault rifle; however, the Indian Army put the replacement out to tender in September 2016.[4] Many police forces in India have procured the Excalibur in limited numbers.

It is manufactured by Ordnance Factory Board in Rifle Factory Ishapore.[5]

History[edit]

The Indian Army used the INSAS rifle from the late 1990s, and the rifle saw action during the Kargil War. The INSAS was said to be plagued with many reliability issues like cracking of the polymer magazines because of cold weather, oil being sprayed in the user's eyes and the rifle going into automatic mode when set on 3-round burst (the INSAS does not have an automatic mode).

In November 2011, the Indian Army sent a request for proposal (RFP) to 34 vendors for 65,678 multi-calibre rifles for about ₹2,500 crore (US$400 million).[6][7] The tender also included a license to manufacture about 100,000 more rifles in India, with a total expenditure of the phasing out estimated at ₹5,500 crore (US$900 million).[8] Similar tenders for a carbine and a LMG were also issued.[9] However, the Army sent a letter to the manufacturers on 15 June 2015, to notify them that the tender had been retracted.[10] In July 2015, it was reported that the INSAS may be replaced by the Modified INSAS rifle (MIR), which is based on the Excalibur. The decision was taken by General Dalbir Singh, who wanted an indigenous rifle.[11][12]

After cancelling the tender, the army decided to pursue the new Excalibur rifle developed by the ARDE as a replacement for the older INSAS rifles.

On 3 July 2016, the Indian media reported that the Indian Army had rejected the Excalibur for its standard issue assault rifle as it did not match the requirements standard of the army.[13][14]

In September 2016 the Indian Army announced that it was launching a tender for 185,000 7.62×51mm-caliber assault rifles.[4] The Indian Army in October 2016 announced that Excalibur rifles will be adopted as an interim assault rifle until a suitable replacement is found.[15][16]

In June 2017, the Excalibur was announced to have failed tests due to concerns about quality control and ineffective firepower.[17]

In July 2018, the Indian Army announced that plans to adopt the Excalibur will not proceed.[18]

Design[edit]

Design of the assault rifle first started in 2004.[19]

Prototype[edit]

The prototype incorporates a direct gas-tapping angle to reduce the recoil. The rifle would have automatic and single shot modes. The three-round burst mode of the INSAS has been dropped. The rifle would have a folding butt and a standard Picatinny rail. By September 2015, it had passed the water and mud tests, which four of the foreign rifles in the tender competition had failed. It was also reported 200 rifles were being manufactured and that prototype would undergo formal trials in late 2015.[20]

Tests[edit]

The MIR had two stoppages after firing 24,000 rounds, which was very close the army's specification of one stoppage.[11] It was also reported that another prototype of Excalibur, AR-2, was being prepared which would fire 7.62×39mm rounds.[11]

Final[edit]

The final designs incorporated picatinny rails on the upper receiver with an improved design for the polycarbonate magazine.[12]

Operators[edit]

 India

Failed Contracts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Assault Rifles". PIB India. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ordnance Factory Board". ofbindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  3. ^ Press India Bureau. "Excalibur Rifle 5.56mm". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b The Times of India (28 September 2016). "Once again, Army starts global hunt for a new-generation assault rifle". timesofindia.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ Peri, Dinakar (7 July 2016). "Excalibur rifle awaits certification trials". NEW DELHI: The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Army issues global tender for new assault rifles". Zee News. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Five cos left in race to supply multi-calibre rifles to Army". Business Standard. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Guns and Butter in Billion-dollar Arms Deal". 21 September 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  9. ^ "INSAS-weary army shops for new infantry arms". The New Indian Express. 16 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Army scraps the world's largest assault rifle tender". India Today. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Unnithan, Sandeep (5 July 2015). "Exclusive: Made in India rifles to replace INSAS". Mail Today. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Indian Army cancels rifle, carbine tenders". Jane's Defence Weekly. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  13. ^ "Army hunts for lethal assault rifle, junks DRDO's Excalibur". Economic Times. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Indian army throw plan to induct desi rifle". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  15. ^ "Dmilt.com - India; Army agrees to adopt Excalibur rifles – as interim solution | Asia | News". Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  16. ^ "IA to induct Excalibur as interim assault rifle | IHS Jane's 360". web.archive.org. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "Indian Army rejects indigenously made rifles for second year in a row". 21 June 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Army hunts for lethal assault rifle junks DRDO's Excalibur". Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Important Milestones". Rfi.nic.in. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Army prepares for crucial trials as chief insists on indigenous Excalibur". Business Standard. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  21. ^ Chanda, Rahul (12 May 2018). "Is Assam police prepared for counter insurgency operations". Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Policeman on security duty at Chhattisgarh minister's bungalow shoots self, investigation underway". DNA India. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Karnataka Police Face Huge Weapon Shortage, Says CAG Report". 17 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Manipur Police Training College – Official Website Manipur Police".
  25. ^ The Times of India (6 August 2016). "Excalibur muscle for Bengal police". timesofindia.com. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  26. ^ NYOOOZ (6 August 2016). "Excalibur muscle for Bengal police". nyoooz.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Excalibur (assault rifle).
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