How does the Ministry of Defence’s Fast Track Procedure work?
The MOD’s Fast Track Procedure (FTP) ensures expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements for the Armed Forces where chance of wartime scenarios or crisis is forecasted is seen in the foreseeable future. Acquisition of weapons under FTP are categorized into:
1. Procurement of same equipment already in active service
2. Procurement of new equipment
3. Procurement of weapon systems or platforms which have been in service in a foreign country and available for lease or sale.
Any weapons contract coming under FTP are approved by Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) based on the proposals of the concerned Armed Force division Service Chiefs. The procedure drips is classified further in terms of management of procurement where vendors either have equipment involved in active service or will be the first time vendors for the Indian military. It is followed by the approval required for witnessing demonstrations of the weapon system or platform in question if they follow through the compliances and meet the operational needs. After that DAC deals with the estimated cost of proposal and the time schedule for induction. Apparently a ‘Single Stage-Two Bid System’ occurs for the solicitation of offers. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are approved by DG/Vice Chief of DAC. The RFP is a self-explanatory document which helps vendors make their offers after consideration of full requirement of acquisition. The Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) carries out the technicalities of the bids received in response to the RFPs. The empowered Committee and the management of the Armed Force division in question may need to visit the vendor premises for the demonstration and physical evaluation of the equipment required which is followed by a report that is accepted by the Defence Acquisition Council. A Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) and Oversight Committee are formed comprising of multiple delegates including the Major Generals or equivalent level officers from the Service in question, a representative of MoD nominated by the Secretary (Defence Finance), a Defence Services Financial Advisor etc. which reviews the status of grievances and subsequent rectifications after the TEC and physical demonstration reports. Considering the urgent nature of requirements and to ensure that the items being supplied conform to the technical specifications agreed in the contract, an Inspection Committee is formed to wrap up the quality assurance checks and the Certificate of Quality before dispatch. Joint Receipt and Inspection (JRI) would be carried out by the MoD and the vendor in India and the complete payment is processed only after this stage. This whole process stands on a FTP Termination Clause if the delivery of the equipment is delayed by more than six months or the vendor is declared bankrupt. The maximum time duration between the initiation of proposal and the completion of contract signing is around 430 days (might be subjected to yearly policy changes, quantity and type of equipment in question) followed by a maximum of 12 months for delivery (from the date of signing of contract)(minimum delivery time stands at 3 months from the signing of contract, again subjected to the nature of equipment acquisition). The whole process is just a declassified summarized edition of a complex procedure handled by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces divisions of India.
Was the 1st time signing of SIG716I worth it?
On February 12, 2019, India signed a major contract for the procurement of Sig Sauer 716I TREAD both as a means of frontline rifle upgrade replacing several thousands of aging INSAS and AKs and also for the forward deployment of these weapons along the entire northern borders. DAC approved the procurement of 72400 SIG 716Is through the Fast Track Procurement among which 66400 was meant for the army at an estimated cost of Rs. 3547 crores. One can say lack of decision making and state-of-the-art infrastructure while one can describe it as a good thing having diversified weapon arsenal, but it is infact a proven statement over the years that India has struggled to set permanent standard issue rifles for the gigantic 2nd largest army in the world. The special forces can be left out of this conversation since they have found their stability in the American M4s and Israeli TAR-21s and indeed they rank among the best weapons in the world. But the absurd mix of old and upgraded INSASs, old and upgraded AKs, some TAVORs in the mix, AK-203s etc. really make a hopscotch in the arsenal. And then comes the never-ending debate of why India is able to rival the topdogs in terms of destructive ICBMs but fail to develop a good standard rifle. Indian soldiers are some of the best trained military men among the world and the skill ceiling skyrockets when you combine a weapon with this kind of training. But it actually falls short to the global standards when it strictly comes to the specs of these rifles.
Debates come, stay and go but focusing on the capabilities expansion, the 2019 SIG 716I was a great addition regardless. Chambered in 7.62 NATO ammunition, it is a premium AR-10 and comes with a 16″ barrel. The grip and ergonomics of this gun are almost identical to any mil-spec AR15. It is a semi-auto platform and uses 20-round magazines. It works on direct-impingement mechanism which is a disappointment compared to today’s superior piston driven developments, but the ambidextrous controls, good barrel life with free-floating cold hammer forged barrel, MLOK handguard and an effective firing range of 600m proves its point. Is India utilizing the weapon to its fullest potential? NO. Whatever pictures civilians get of Indian infantrymen with 716I TREADs, the highest optic one can see is a holographic sight and most of them run on iron sights (as seen from official photos from multilateral army exercises). Slap that TREAD with a variable powered optic and a PEQ-15, it will do its designed job, but that’s a different convo for another time. Regardless, the weapon was a good addition to the arsenal and apparently military personnel were satisfied.
What has changed in handheld weapons development domain in India since 2019?
India isn’t known anywhere as the birthplace of game-changing firearms but certain private startups are hellbent on making it so. One such name is Astr Defence, India’s first indigenous modular pistol maker. Chambered in standard 9×19 Parabellum rounds, Astr promotes its original ATAL 9×19 and the new ATAL EDC Gen2 military-grade pistols. The pistol is as modern as HK’s USP and Sig M18s and probably more. It has got MIL-STD Picatinny rails for underbarrel tactical lasers and pistol-grade red dots, two-stage milspec trigger, stainless steel slide with tactical serrations, good ergonomics etc. and carries a 13+1 magazine. These are very good specs-wise but nothing crazy PR movement is happened regarding the firm or any inclusion of its products to the vast Indian military. But the next one is a banger.
SSS Defence – In a country where this gigantic military gets a massive majority of its equipment from govt-chosen entities and PSUs, this Bengaluru-based private startup can be considered as a mogul on its own. It portrays five unique products till now int he assault and sniper rifle section along with several rifle upgradation and optics division. The P-72 is a family of three guns made for Carbine, Assault and DMR variants. Each of them features chrome lined free floating barrel and works on short-stroke piston driven system. Although it is unfair to compare to these with SiG products since they have a long battle-tested history, the short stroke piston driven system itself is more efficient than the 716’s direct impingement system. SSS Defence is the only such manufacturer in the country to make their rifles compatible with 5.56x45mm, 7.62x39mm and 7.62x51mm.
SSS’ Viper is a 7.62x51mm chambered bolt action sniper rifle specifically targeting modern sniper contracts. It comes with a 26/27″ inch barrel with a 3-prong muzzle brake. It uses 5/10 round detachable box magazines and has full rail fore-end and upper Picatinnys for multi-accessory mounting at 3/6/9o’clock directions. The Saber is the firm’s ultimate offering having equal specifications and quality control as the Viper but fires the even deadlier .338 Lapua Magnus and SSSD’s proprietary 338 action ammo. The company makes it known far and beyond to be an indigenous invention able to hit targets at 1500m+ distance.
You were expecting more, right? Nope it’s a dead end. There is a severe lack of companies in rifle manufacturing. One can name a plethora of private firms in the military segment but this specific field as a few critical issues. So how are rifles and vendors actually chosen? While the chain of processes is similar with the FTP procedure mentioned before, the products that would be chosen to be considered generally remain classified. Unless the process is working as a open competition based tender, public won’t even get the wind of proceedings. Nobody knows which foreign rifles were in question for the same role 716I has filled or even if there was chance for any other SIG product other than the 716I.
Examples of a properly structured tender:
The NGSW Program – All the military units of the United States use the M4 as the standard issue service rifle and it has been the same 5.56x45mm and the same rifle loadout for multi-decades now. With the growing geopolitical spar sentiments between USA, China, Russia, North Korea etc. and an increasing demand to use a better ammunition to overpower the 7.62 AKs of these countries, US needed to adopt a new rifle with completely revamped ammunition – thus the birth of the US’ Next Generation Squad Weapon program. The U.S. Army launched the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program in 2017 to replace the M4 carbine, M249 SAW, and M240 machine gun with a unified system using 6.8mm cartridges. The program aimed to develop small arms fire-control systems for these new weapons. Seven defense contractors participated, with five designing and producing the weapons and two creating fire-control optics. The NGSW program originated in 2017 following a U.S. Congress order for the Army to assess upgrading existing M4 carbines with SOCOM’s SOPMOD free-floating rail. Although the M4 was favoured by troops and performed well under stress, feeding issues and other problems were resolved using different ammunition and magazines. However, the M4 struggled to penetrate bulletproof vests used by Russian and Chinese troops at longer ranges. The pressure to develop a new weapon system also stemmed from military programs of other countries, such as Russia’s Ratnik program. The U.S. Army’s Soldier Enhancement Program recommended proceeding with the NGSW Program in December 2017 as a more cost-effective solution compared to retrofitting M4s with free-float rail systems. In 2017, the Army issued requirements for NGSW prototype submissions. The NGSW-R rifle was required to use a 6.8mm round and be compatible with small arms fire-control systems. The NGSW-AR support weapon had limitations on size, weight, target suppression range, and accuracy, and also required small arms fire-control system compatibility. After 27 months of prototyping and evaluation, the Army awarded the NGSW program contract to SIG Sauer in April 2022. SIG Sauer would produce replacements for the M4 carbine and M249 SAW over the next 10 years. The new rifle, designated the XM7, is based on the company’s SIG MCX Spear rifle, while the new automatic rifle, designated the XM250, is based on the company’s SIG MG 6.8mm belt-fed gun. The company received a small initial production order worth $10.4 million for 25 rifles, 15 automatic rifles, and a significant quantity of ammunition to test the weapons and refine the production line. SIG Sauer, General Dynamics and Textron were competing in this tender for the rifle while L3Harris and Vortex were engaged in the dedicated optics mount, and eventually SIG + Vortex came out to be adopted in the well-structured competition, where all the companies were thoroughly engaged in showcasing the requirements to the US Army and their Department of Defence.
Project Hunter – The UK’s Project Hunter was a military initiative aimed at selecting a new Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) to replace the SA80/L85 series of rifles and Colt Canada L119s used by the Rangers and elements of the Royal Marines Commandos. The project sought a modern assault rifle that offered improved accuracy and range, enhanced lethality, reduced weight, improved ergonomics, and compatibility with existing equipment. Several major defense manufacturers participated in the competition, including Knight’s Armament Company (KS-1), Heckler & Koch (HK416A5), SIG Sauer (SPEAR-LT), Daniel Defense (M4), and Glock (GR-115F). The selection process involved rigorous testing and evaluation of the competing rifles based on factors such as accuracy, range, lethality, reliability, ergonomics, weight, and cost. After careful consideration, the UK Ministry of Defence selected the Knight’s KS-1 as the winner of Project Hunter. The rifle, designated the L403A1, was chosen for its superior performance and overall suitability for the intended role. The KS-1 is a variant of Knight’s Armament’s SR-16, featuring a 13.7-inch barrel and weighing 6.88 pounds unloaded. Its accessories include advanced optics like the Aimpoint ACRO P-2 and a Vortex LPVO scope, enhancing accuracy and performance. The weapon also comes with the Knights Corn Cobb suppressor to minimize detection during operations. The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a contract worth $110 million for around 10,000 rifles, with an initial order of 1,620 units worth $16 million. And despite being a much smaller project than the NGSW, it is certainly an eyecatcher since all the entries are made by excellent firms and the likes of HK416, DDM4s and SPEAR getting rejected certainly draws attention. This decision marks a shift in UK military strategy, with a significant investment in AR-pattern rifles, which had seen limited adoption in the past due to the massive inventory of bullpup SA80s and L85A1s. UK is already proceeding towards making these moves as a staple for all the units by replacing the existing bullpups to the newer AR15s through Project Grayburn.
Does the SIG 716I repeat order make sense?
It’s August 27, 2024 and defence communities came abuzz as Indian Ministry of Defence signs a repeat order of importing another 73000 716Is from US’ SIG Sauer. What’s good is the thought that India is taking steps to modernize the ground force assault weapons but what’s definitely not good is the way these things are chosen and done. This repeat order completely negates all the indigenous development and a need of proper tender based firearm adoption for the Indian military irrespective of how good has the 716I performed in this five years of service. For a initial gist, India’s firearm procurement has been going in two specific paths. Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, a public sector undertaking manages the Ordnance factory at Tiruchirapalli and WB’s Ishapore rifle factory where all of the current indigenous firearms are made which mainly include the INSAS’ assault and LMG variants. A good indigenous rifle yet plagued with problems, OFB and these factories are the authorized bodies to tweak the requirements for the INSAS rifle which hold the maximum quantity in the military arsenal. The other body is the Indo Russia Rifles Pvt. Ltd. – the joint venture of DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) Laboratory and Russia’s JSC Kalashnikov Concern and Rosoboronexport which makes the AK203 for India. It is the latest variant of the AK family and 670000 units are to be supplied to the Indian military. The JV started in 2019 and the facility needs to produce 75000 AKs every year according to the agreement. Yet only 35000 have been delivered till now and the indigenous content stands at 25%. With a stellar track record, AKs certainly beat INSAS but delays are the primary concern as India is facing serious supply chain issues in all armed force domain since Russia is bleeding pockets in the Ukraine war. The Indo Russia Rifles, although having no technical issues faces the danger of timelags and supply chain while the INSAS is just not upto the mark for global standards. So here comes the items to bridge the gap – IMPORT. 2019’s Sig order was quite a meaningful addition in both modernization as well as to give Indian infantrymen the taste of western ARs. But at the same time importing rifles through FTPs whenever quality manufacturing output is slow is just not a viable and cost-effective option.
From SSS’ Vivek Krishnan – The day the 2nd order was made public, SSS Defence’s CEO Vivek Krishnan made a very daring and rational post in X which garnered a lot of attention. He blatantly spoke about the lack of proper decision making in this whole scenario. It was expressed that the government’s acquisition could have been avoided by insisting on a private solicitation focused on Indian design and content, which would likely have produced multiple contenders. These could have been easily tested against the existing systems in service. Despite the acquisition being finalized, a commitment has been made not to disband efforts from SSS Defence. Instead, it was emphasized that the decision was made early on to remain the most competitive force in the business. A weapon will still be developed for each caliber, with the primary focus remaining on the uniformed personnel, aiming to establish a global presence. The question of “Make in India” for defense was addressed, noting that a small number of companies are making significant progress in small arms development. With the appropriate level of patience and support, indigenous weapons are expected to become essential for national defense. It was suggested that with the current geopolitical situation, relying on domestic weaponry will soon become a necessity, and other nations will likely seek to purchase from Indian manufacturers. Concerns about pride in Indian manufacturing were also raised. It was observed that pride was lost when substandard weapons were produced in the government-controlled sector. However, the private sector has been slowly regaining that pride by building quality weapons. The process of achieving acceptance is difficult, and going global has revealed that Indian manufacturers are often respected by their international peers before gaining recognition at home, which is seen as a matter of self-esteem. Lastly, it was noted that buyers have long claimed that Indian weapons suffer from inadequate metallurgy and outdated designs. It was suggested that indigenous weapons should be tested against global benchmarks in each caliber, with results made publicly available as serious armies do. The importance of clear test protocols was stressed, as such transparency would benefit both sides.
All of these were addressed by SSS Defence in a move where people too daring to think of when you are speaking against the same system whom you are targeting to work with. And indeed all this reasoning are logical. In a budding firearm industry, contracts don’t come and go, once done a company is likely to wait several years before actual need. So indeed had it been any other newly come up company, this decision would have surely dealt a huge blow in the financials and would have struggled to keep up with future projects. The call for giving indigenous weapons makers a chance to showcase their deliverable is all but true which emphasises the need for a proper competition-based tender. From a layman’s eye, India is stacked with state-of-the-art aircraft carriers, missile programs like Brahmos and Agni, hypersonic developments, SAMs, nuke subs and destroyers, indigenous fighter jets etc. but when the trigger-happy soldiers aren’t getting the best products, the most lucrative way is to burn some extra pockets and go for brands like Daniel Defence, Heckler & Koch, FN, SIG etc. to make the entire military fool proof. ARDE massively controls the indigenous firearm manufacturing for the army and yet can’t make them close to global standards. This lack of engagement from the government to invite private sectors when everyone is seeing the potential they are carrying certainly draws eyes to the ‘classified’ behind-the-scenes contract parameters and directly undermines the indigenous developments such private firms are making.
It is not a fact anyway that Indian MoD turns a blind eye to private firearm developments. SSS Defence is a pretty big name as it is already on army’s retrofitting projects. It is delivering every existing AK-47 with upgrade kits of Picatinny rails, adjustable stocks, angled and vertical foregrips and better mags. The army still refuses to bench the oldhead Dragunov snipers and SSS Defence is swiftly delivering the SVDs with switched barrels, customizable stocks, replacement of wood with mil-spec polymers and addition of foreguard and Picatinnys to make these weapons eligible for range finder attachments.
Also Read, SSS Defence: New Leader In Indian Private Sector Defence Manufacturing
So the government certainly knows the gradual indigenous development that has been taking place. So why not for a completely new rifle tech, and the reasons demanded are certainly within reach. If Navy can select a carrier jet between the Super Hornet and Rafale M by years of rigorous testing, Air Force is making Boeing, Saab, Lockheed Martin, Daasault etc. sweat to get the one elusive MRFA tender, a similar tender like US’ NGSW is certainly possible where foreign and indigenous entries go through the same weapon tests to get that ultimate one suitable for our all-weather needs and be the standard issue for the coming days. This repeat order is good from a value addition and extra weapons perspective but certainly not at the cost of bringing scores of criticism and lack of future planning. L&T is making Zorawar tanks and MPVs, TASL is pretty successful in the Armoured Personnel Carriers and Night Vision Equipment, MKU is doing good numbers in military grade helmets, so why not in the firearms industry. L&T and Tata Group are currently two behemoths working in diverse projects of Army mobility and Naval vessels yet have no plans to enter in the rifle business even though one single rifle contract for the army is a multimillion bagging. As scarcely populated as this segment is, a proper map of future growth and potentials is needed between the govt, PSUs and private firms to target the must needs for the second largest army in the world.
References-
https://tinyurl.com/y88ra34d – The US NGSW Program, pros and cons of MCX Spear introduction and M4 retirement: from the perspective of an US veteran
https://tinyurl.com/2ap9cvwb – Vivek Krishnan’s views on the SiG 716I repeat order and current arms development landscape: interview with the Deputy Editor of The Print, Snehesh Alex Philip
https://tinyurl.com/hjupk49m – Why Indian military’s hunt for a rifle remains in a big mess : by India Today’s Shiv Aroor
https://www.mod.gov.in/sites/default/files/RFP%20of%20MP141222.pdf : Official Request for Proposal (RFP) from MoD for 5000 9mm machine pistols through Fast Track Procedure 2022 (reference documents which are very similar for all types of handheld weapons and equipment).
