FUTURE INFANTRY RIFLE CALIBRE; How this calibre is important and has potential usability?

How this calibre is important and has potential usability?

While doing our research on small arms and infantry warfare, we come to know about a new calibre bullet, which is perfect in all forms and will subsequently replace all present infantry weapon calibre specifically for assault rifle and correlated weapons. And that calibre is 6.5X39mm Grendal

As It is best and perfect in

1. 1. Range

1. 1. Accuracy

1. 1. Terminal Performance (Shoot to kill)

1. 1. Operating cost

1. 1. Production

1. Logistics.

• • This has proven its potential in many test and brought best result in ballistics theory (External, Internal and Terminal).

• • This has better external ballistics than 7.62X51mm NATO, which results in defining its range and accuracy.

• • This has better terminal ballistics than 5.56X45mm NATO, which results in better wound potential.

• This has better ballistics coefficient, section density and weight graphics than 7.62 X 39mm Soviet, which results in better accuracy at every given range with higher target end energy.

This ammunition can be used in any form of weapon like-

1. Assault rifle(AR)
2. Carbine
3. Sub machine gun(SMG)
4. Designated Marksman rifle(DMR)
5. Light machine gun (LMG)

SO NOW WE HAVE FUTURE CALIBRE FOR ALL OUR INFANTRY WEAPON REQUIREMENT

Who are doing this? Apart from us..?

As this has been told that this calibre (6.5X39mm Grendal) is future for all infantry warfare. There are some countries that are doing their work (Research, Test, Development and Trials) on this calibre. But they are doing so keeping these projects highly classified to themselves and denying even its existence for military purposes.

However, we can easily identify them :-

1. USA – with their project called M-X with Remington and Colt. USA– with their another project (Unnamed) with Alexander Arms.

2. RUSSIA- with Kalashnikov Concern named AK-18 (they are showing only AK-12 and AK-15) and they named this round as 6.5X39mm Grendalski

3. SERBIA – with their Govt. owned company called Zastava arms and project named M-17(MAR)

4. CHINA & PAKISTAN – Chinese developed their own round called 5.8X42mm DBP-87 for QBZ-95 and QBZ-03 rifles, but wanted something more so decided to pursue 6.5X39mm (lighter version with weight less than 100 grains) round as supplement to 5.8 . Now some sources indicated that they can replace QBZ-95 and QBZ-03 rifles and their rounds. Pakistan has also shown their interest in this Chinese project, because they also want to replace their aging H&K G3 (7.62X51mm NATO) battle rifle and Type (7.62X39mm Soviet) assault rifle for future. For that they had shown interest in Turkish MKEK rifle(7.62X51mm NATO) for their battle rifle requirement and Czech CZ 805 Bren (7.62X39mm Soviet) for their assault rifle requirement, as latest news came they halted their plans, to get settle with Chinese project, that is now showing their interest also in 6.5X39mm calibre.

So, the conclusion is that we have existing and potential competitor in future infantry weapon calibre

But we do not want to be left behind.

How this calibre is important for Indian Armed Forces and what changes will it bring to modern infantry warfare?

Once this calibre will be chosen for our armed forces, we will not be having complexity of using different types of calibre for different use, as we do now, 5.56mm NATO for conventional warfare, 7.62X39mm Soviet in AK series rifles for counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations and 7.62X51mm NATO for long range firing in LMG and other machineguns. So some are good in one specific role, but not in other

As if we will have 6.5X39mm round, which is good as aforesaid in all forms like range, accuracy and wounding potential, that would do all sort of operational work. Now we do not need various types of calibre and various types of rifles, which leads to many practical problems like logistics, training, obsolesce, maintenance and many others.

NOW AS SIMPLE AS IT GETS ONE CALIBRE – ONE RIFLE (IN MULTIPLE ROLES AS AN ASSAULT RIFLE, CARBINE, SMG, DMR AND LMG)

Now how to do it and challenges in doing so.

In a sizable force like Indian Army with huge inventory of arms and ammunition, changing the calibre is indeed a very difficult task.

But can be done in a by synoptical approach taken in a systematical manner.

For that we suggest doing the following steps.

Keeping our conversion initially very slow so that we will have enough time for new calibre to be tested and it gone through all required trials.

Use INSAS and its 5.56x 45 mm round for export purpose with all the required re-fabrications, re-calibrations and up-gradations made.

Transfer these refurbished INSAS and its 5.56x 45 mm round to state police force which need less lethal rifle for their use.

Will have standard production rate of rifle with 1 lakh to 2 lakh rifles per annum to go along with new 6.5x39mm Grendal at the same required rate

Following above mentioned step we can easily do the most challenging conversion of rifle and its caliber in Indian Armed Forces.

With research, inputs from BSS Materiel Limited (Weapons Division) “Bharat Supply & Support of Military Materials and Equipment” www.bssm.limited