Central armed forces aim for double-range sniper rifles
Vijay Mohan
Chandigarh, June 12
To enhance their operational capability, the country’s border-guarding forces are looking to induct large-calibre and long-range sniper rifles with double the range of the existing weapons.
A requirement has been projected to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that controls the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for a 12.7 mm rifle with an effective range of over 1,500 metres. At present, the 7.62 mm sniper rifles available with the CAPFs have a range of about 800 metres.
Sources said the Border Security Force (BSF) has been tasked to set up a technical committee to evaluate the 12.7 mm rifles on the basis of field trials and lay down standard specifications and qualitative requirements that meet the operational parameters of the forces. These specifications will be a benchmark for procuring the long-range sniper rifles, which will be used for border guarding as well as counter-terror and anti-Naxal operations.
A few years ago, the BSF had inducted a small number of US-made Barret M-95 12.7 mm rifles for use along the LoC in J&K to counter Pakistani snipers. The Army already uses different variants of 12.7 mm rifles, including the Barret and the Russian OSV-96. The rifles being sought by the CAPFs are required to be functional in temperatures from minus 20°C to 55°C in day as well as night in all-weather conditions with the use of optical telescopic sights, thermal imagers, spotting scopes and ballistic weather gauges.
India’s ordnance factories have developed a multi-calibre anti-material rifle, Vidhwansak, which has three variants — 12.7 mm, 14.5 mm and 20 mm.
Focus on 12.7 mm guns
- CAPFs looking to have 12.7 mm rifles with an effective range of over 1,500 metres
- At present, the 7.62 mm sniper rifles available with CAPFs have a range of about 800 metres
- Rifles of 12.7 mm calibre are being favoured as these increase the kill probability
