Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

OFB INSAS (INdian Small Arms System)

1998 MODERN

History of OFB INSAS (Indian Small Arms System)

The INSAS family served in the Indian Army in 1998 and have experienced extensive combat service, particularly during the Kargil War against Pakistan (1999) and parts of the Nepalese Civil War (1996-2006). The INSAS is the current standard assault rifle of the Indian Army and is also purchased for use by the armed forces of Bhutan, Nepal and Oman.

While the design of the INSAS was undertaken by the Armaments Research and Development Agency (ARDE), the manufacture was directed by the National Ordnance Factory Council of India and Ishapore. In all respects, it is a conventional assault weapon design that has since been expanded into a compatible family of automatic weapons.

It is believed that around 300,000 examples have been produced to date.

During the 1980s, the Indian Defence Network developed a series of new offensive weapons collectively known as the "Indian Small Arms System" or "INSAS". The design was influenced by the Soviet-era Kalashnikov AK-47 pattern, similar to gas operation using a rotating bolt. The gun even comes with a Kalashnikov-style cylinder holder and curved magazine. However, the Indian Army has relied on foreign exports for its military needs for decades, and several notable features of these weapons were further incorporated into the new INSAS - essentially making the weapon a "dumb" design. While there are some very distinct Kalashnikov features, the magazine is designed to M16 standards and holds the same 5.56mm cartridge (as opposed to the AK-47's 7.62mm cartridge), which is A removable 20 or 30 round polymer magazine magazine.

Additionally, the trigger handle is very similar to that of some Heckler and Koch automatic weapons. Like the British Lee-Enfield, the cleaning device is built into the stock, while the gas regulation is similar to the Belgian FN FAL.

Despite this combination of components, the end product is a robust and operational attack weapon system that can now be manufactured domestically without relying on foreign parties or logistics.

The weapon was scheduled to enter service in 1994, but the introduction of the service was delayed until 1998 due to problems with procuring large quantities of locally produced 5.56mm ammunition. Once in circulation, the INSAS assault rifle soon revealed some inherent design flaws. Chief among them is the report of using the selector switch to set fully automatic fire to three-shot mode.

It was also pointed out that the overall construction of these early batches of weapons was so flawed that much of the plastic didn't stand up well to battlefield abuse and frigid temperatures. Since then, multiple modifications to the system and design process have addressed these issues, making the new production model more than adequate service rifles for the Indian Army.

The INSAS line consists of several variants of the base weapon. The basic default product is the Assault Rifle. It has a fixed solid stock and is complemented by a semi-automatic and three-shot burst system controlled by a selector switch.

A special version of the base INSAS adds a fully automatic fire mode, while the other version gains a folding stock for a more compact design - the latter is intended for use by special forces, paratroopers, vehicle crews, etc. Auto fire mode. The INSAS Assault Rifle is optionally available with a single-shot grenade launcher under the table, and an AK-style bayonet for close combat. Muzzle-fired rifle grenades are supported.

The empty weight of the INSAS assault rifle is just over 9 pounds. Its barrel length is almost 38 inches and the barrel is 18 inches. The INSAS is designed to fire the standard 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, but also appears in the 5.56x45mm INSAS and 5.56x30mm MINSAS calibers.

The rate of fire is reported to be 650 rounds per minute, while the muzzle velocity is about 2,953 feet per second.

The INSAS LMG is a light machine gun version with a solid barrel, bipod and fully automatic firepower - all designed for squad level support roles. Commonality of parts is an economical measure here, and the additions to the LMG version ensure that it can survive the rigors of suppressive fire with a compact automatic weapons package that is virtually indistinguishable from the basic INSAS design. The INSAS MSMC is a proposed submachine gun version that fires a slightly different 5.56mm cartridge (5.56x30mm MINSAS). Externally, the weapon is similar to the Israeli UZI submachine gun, including a magazine with a pistol grip.

The KALANTANK is a "miniature" assault rifle currently being proposed - possibly similar in scope to contemporary carbines. Like other INSAS series firearms, it has common components and fires 5.56mm cartridges.

However, this release provides more support for optics and accessories by including a Picatinny rail. The foldable spool also makes it a compact and lightweight design.