Indian army seeks new heavy machine gun

allesennogwat · 04-12-2010, 09:46 PM

The Indian army is looking to provide infantry soldiers with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun with a range of more than 2,000 yards.

The army also intends to mount the expected 90-pound HMG on light-strike vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles.

Ammunition for the .50-caliber HMG is to include firebombs, armor-piercing high explosives and armor-piercing discarding sabot, a Defense Department request for information said.

Rate of fire will be at least 450 rounds per minute and it will have sighting systems including optical magnification, open-sight and thermal imaging.

Additional specifications include a fire-control system to be operated manually and electrically. A spare barrel is to be available that can be changed quickly while in the field and in adverse conditions.

The weapon will have a blast suppressor to reduce blast effects. Smoke generated during firing should not hinder the operator's view.

"The weapon should be easy to carry by a three-man crew in dismantled condition and be assembled with ease while being used in a ground role," a report by the Press Trust of Indian said.

The weapons should withstand operational conditions in high-altitude areas, jungles and deserts.

The specifications are almost identical to the Browning M2HB HMG already in service with the Indian army, according to the defense news Web site livefist.com, run by television and newspaper defense correspondent Shiv Aroor.

The other 12.7mm vehicle-mounted HMG with the army is the automatic only Russian NSV.

Defense Web sites describe the NSV as a gas-operated and air-cooled, belt-fed weapon that fires from an open bolt. The gas system consists of a gas chamber below the barrel, with a gas regulator and a long-stroke gas piston attached to the bolt carrier. The gun body weighs around 55 pounds and 90 pounds on a tripod with 50 rounds of ammunition.

RFIs for the new HMG have been sent to agencies including Rosoboronexport for their Degtyarev Kord 12.7mm, Aroor noted.

The Kord entered service in Russia in 1998, replacing the older NSV and appears similar to it. But the internal mechanism has changed from a horizontally pivoting breech block to a rotating bolt design. The gas system has been changed and the muzzle-baffle redesigned. These changes reduce recoil compared with the NSV, allowing greater accuracy during sustained fire.

An RFI has also gone to General Dynamics for the still under development M806 and also their Browning M2E50, a variant of the M2.

Thearmy's HMG RFI comes after the Indian army notified the market at the start of the year that it is on a hunt for a substantial number of firearms that shoot around corners.

The weapons, often called cornershot guns, must also have an accuracy to "engage targets effectively" of just over 200 yards and be capable of day-night vision for use with the army's counter-terrorist operations.

The move has come about because of the Nov. 26, 2008, terror attacks on hotels, train stations and other buildings in central Mumbai, killing 173 people. During the so-called 26/11 attack, the military was involved in a lot of room-to-room fighting in the large Oberoi Hotel, according to a report in the Times of India newspaper.

The weapons are essentially an adaptor for pistols and rifles that is hinged in the center. It can be bent up to 60 degrees, allowing the shooter to see a direct line of fire around a corner, thanks to a small side-mounted video camera. The shooter has no need to show himself to the enemy.

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indi...e_gun_999.html

KernelKrink · 04-13-2010, 04:35 PM

"The specifications are almost identical to the Browning M2HB HMG already in service with the Indian army". So why are they wanting a new one?

allesennogwat · 04-13-2010, 04:46 PM

Army eyeing heavy machine guns to add fire power to infantry

New Delhi: To provide more fire power to its infantry soldiers and mechanised forces, the Army is eyeing a new 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) that can hit targets accurately within a 2,000-metre range.

The Army has issued a request for information for a 40-kg HMG that it wants to mount on Light Strike Vehicles and Infantry Fighting Vehicles, apart from use by its foot soldiers.

The .50 calibre HMG should be capable of firing ammunition such as high explosive (incendiary), armour piercing high explosive, armour piercing discarding sabot and useful for target practice.

"The weapon should have the capability to be used from the Light Strike Vehicle and Infantry Fighting Vehicle and in ground role while being mounted on vehicle and tripod respectively," the RFI, issued recently, said.

"The weapon should be easy to carry by a three-men crew in dismantled condition and be assembled with ease while being used in ground role," it said.

The rate of fire of the weapon should be "not less than" 450 rounds per minute, it has stipulated. The HMG should have three different modes of operation -- single shot, semi-automatic and automatic fire.

The weapon should have a fire control system that could be operated both manually and electrically. The system should come with a spare barrel, which can be changed quickly in field conditions, it said.

The Army has stipulated that the weapon should have a life of about 50,000 rounds and the smoke generated while firing should not obscure the observation of the firer.

It also wants a blast suppressor on the HMG to reduce the recoil and blast effect.

The Army expects the weapon to be robust enough to withstand rough usage and simple to maintain in operational conditions normally encountered in India like high-altitude areas, jungles and deserts.

The HMG would have sighting systems including optical magnification, open sight and thermal imaging sight. It should be easy to strip and assemble in the field by the user without any special tools, the RFI said.

The Army has earlier used American, Russian and Israeli-made HMGs, but most of the 350 infantry units had discarded them except for use in taking out softer targets such as bunkers and vehicles.

Currently, the infantrymen use assault rifles, sub-machine guns, light machine guns and sniper rifles.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report...fantry_1367217

allesennogwat · 04-13-2010, 04:47 PM

It looks like the "infantry" doesn't have a lot of 50's right now.

04-12-2010, 09:46 PM	#1
allesennogwat Curio & Relic AKaholic #: 3738 Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 32,142	Indian army seeks new heavy machine gun The Indian army is looking to provide infantry soldiers with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun with a range of more than 2,000 yards. The army also intends to mount the expected 90-pound HMG on light-strike vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles. Ammunition for the .50-caliber HMG is to include firebombs, armor-piercing high explosives and armor-piercing discarding sabot, a Defense Department request for information said. Rate of fire will be at least 450 rounds per minute and it will have sighting systems including optical magnification, open-sight and thermal imaging. Additional specifications include a fire-control system to be operated manually and electrically. A spare barrel is to be available that can be changed quickly while in the field and in adverse conditions. The weapon will have a blast suppressor to reduce blast effects. Smoke generated during firing should not hinder the operator's view. "The weapon should be easy to carry by a three-man crew in dismantled condition and be assembled with ease while being used in a ground role," a report by the Press Trust of Indian said. The weapons should withstand operational conditions in high-altitude areas, jungles and deserts. The specifications are almost identical to the Browning M2HB HMG already in service with the Indian army, according to the defense news Web site livefist.com, run by television and newspaper defense correspondent Shiv Aroor. The other 12.7mm vehicle-mounted HMG with the army is the automatic only Russian NSV. Defense Web sites describe the NSV as a gas-operated and air-cooled, belt-fed weapon that fires from an open bolt. The gas system consists of a gas chamber below the barrel, with a gas regulator and a long-stroke gas piston attached to the bolt carrier. The gun body weighs around 55 pounds and 90 pounds on a tripod with 50 rounds of ammunition. RFIs for the new HMG have been sent to agencies including Rosoboronexport for their Degtyarev Kord 12.7mm, Aroor noted. The Kord entered service in Russia in 1998, replacing the older NSV and appears similar to it. But the internal mechanism has changed from a horizontally pivoting breech block to a rotating bolt design. The gas system has been changed and the muzzle-baffle redesigned. These changes reduce recoil compared with the NSV, allowing greater accuracy during sustained fire. An RFI has also gone to General Dynamics for the still under development M806 and also their Browning M2E50, a variant of the M2. Thearmy's HMG RFI comes after the Indian army notified the market at the start of the year that it is on a hunt for a substantial number of firearms that shoot around corners. The weapons, often called cornershot guns, must also have an accuracy to "engage targets effectively" of just over 200 yards and be capable of day-night vision for use with the army's counter-terrorist operations. The move has come about because of the Nov. 26, 2008, terror attacks on hotels, train stations and other buildings in central Mumbai, killing 173 people. During the so-called 26/11 attack, the military was involved in a lot of room-to-room fighting in the large Oberoi Hotel, according to a report in the Times of India newspaper. The weapons are essentially an adaptor for pistols and rifles that is hinged in the center. It can be bent up to 60 degrees, allowing the shooter to see a direct line of fire around a corner, thanks to a small side-mounted video camera. The shooter has no need to show himself to the enemy. http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indi...e_gun_999.html __________________ Daraclor: A brand of anti-malaria pills which we had to drink every week while on the border. Legend had it that these would make you turn yellow and that you wouldn't be able to tan.

04-13-2010, 04:46 PM	#3
allesennogwat Curio & Relic AKaholic #: 3738 Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 32,142	Army eyeing heavy machine guns to add fire power to infantry Army eyeing heavy machine guns to add fire power to infantry New Delhi: To provide more fire power to its infantry soldiers and mechanised forces, the Army is eyeing a new 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) that can hit targets accurately within a 2,000-metre range. The Army has issued a request for information for a 40-kg HMG that it wants to mount on Light Strike Vehicles and Infantry Fighting Vehicles, apart from use by its foot soldiers. The .50 calibre HMG should be capable of firing ammunition such as high explosive (incendiary), armour piercing high explosive, armour piercing discarding sabot and useful for target practice. "The weapon should have the capability to be used from the Light Strike Vehicle and Infantry Fighting Vehicle and in ground role while being mounted on vehicle and tripod respectively," the RFI, issued recently, said. "The weapon should be easy to carry by a three-men crew in dismantled condition and be assembled with ease while being used in ground role," it said. The rate of fire of the weapon should be "not less than" 450 rounds per minute, it has stipulated. The HMG should have three different modes of operation -- single shot, semi-automatic and automatic fire. The weapon should have a fire control system that could be operated both manually and electrically. The system should come with a spare barrel, which can be changed quickly in field conditions, it said. The Army has stipulated that the weapon should have a life of about 50,000 rounds and the smoke generated while firing should not obscure the observation of the firer. It also wants a blast suppressor on the HMG to reduce the recoil and blast effect. The Army expects the weapon to be robust enough to withstand rough usage and simple to maintain in operational conditions normally encountered in India like high-altitude areas, jungles and deserts. The HMG would have sighting systems including optical magnification, open sight and thermal imaging sight. It should be easy to strip and assemble in the field by the user without any special tools, the RFI said. The Army has earlier used American, Russian and Israeli-made HMGs, but most of the 350 infantry units had discarded them except for use in taking out softer targets such as bunkers and vehicles. Currently, the infantrymen use assault rifles, sub-machine guns, light machine guns and sniper rifles. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report...fantry_1367217 __________________ Daraclor: A brand of anti-malaria pills which we had to drink every week while on the border. Legend had it that these would make you turn yellow and that you wouldn't be able to tan.

04-13-2010, 04:47 PM	#4
allesennogwat Curio & Relic AKaholic #: 3738 Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 32,142	It looks like the "infantry" doesn't have a lot of 50's right now. __________________ Daraclor: A brand of anti-malaria pills which we had to drink every week while on the border. Legend had it that these would make you turn yellow and that you wouldn't be able to tan.

04-13-2010, 04:35 PM	#2
KernelKrink Curio & Relic AKaholic #: 2036 Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,533	"The specifications are almost identical to the Browning M2HB HMG already in service with the Indian army". So why are they wanting a new one?

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