PIL dubs INSAS ‘defective’, govt defends gun

NEW DELHI: Loss of lives in an operation by armed forces cannot be attributed to a particular weapon system, the Centre has told the Delhi High Court, defending its INSAS rifle system.
Even as the defense ministry assured the court it carries out periodic up gradation of INSAS rifles and wants to provide latest and modern weapons to its armed forces, it maintained that the rifle has its uses.
“The development of a weapon system is an ongoing process and depending upon technological development, requirement of armed forces and feedback upon harnessing existing weapon system, it undergoes various upgradations and modifications as is the case with INSAS rifles. To meet complex challenges of a particular theatre a mix of weapon system is deployed. Moreover, success of an operation depends upon various factors and variables relevant to particular theatre.
Attributing loss of lives in an operation to a particular weapon system doesn’t appear to be a proper conclusion,” the ministry has said in a reply filed in HC.
Centre’s response came on court instructions in a PIL accusing the government of laxity in phasing out Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles despite being aware of defects in the weaponry, leading to avoidable deaths of soldiers and paramilitary troopers. Filed by a retired Army officer, the PIL claimed AK - 47 rifles are an effective and a cheaper alternative but the government has continued with INSAS rifles.
In its reply the Centre has also clarified that none of the Court of Inquiries conducted in the aftermath of naxal strikes in Chattisgarh blamed INSAS rifles for death of soldiers.
It further faults the PIL for comparing “two separate classes of weapons” and notes how INSAS and Ak-47 rifles use different size of ammunition and varying range. “Both the weapons are effective in different riles because of their different features. Forces always use a combination of different weapons to meet requirement. These include pistols, sub machine guns, assault rifles, mortars grenade launchers etc. Therefore a particular weapon may be considered superior to any other weapon on certain counts and hence more suitable for deployment in particular theatre. Any such comparison by no means should be construed that other weapon is inferior and not good enough to be kept in service.”
Narrating the history of INSAS, the defense ministry informs HC it was inducted in 1992 after extensive user trials and since then has undergone three cycles of up gradation. “Isolated cases of jamming/stoppages after sustained firing is unavoidable in any weapon system, while issue of cracking of magazines has been resolved and current ones are of satisfactory standard,” it adds. On the petitioner’s charge that only poor soldiers on the front are saddled with INSAS while those in VIP guard detail abjure it, the defence ministry has pointed out that Ëlite forces like NSG don’t use INSAS because their requirement is different from that of Army. They use AK series, Heckler & Koch and other weaponse of assault category as their usage is short distances.”