DefExpo 2022: Made-in-India 9mm machine pistol ASMI is MHA's choice
By Anish Kumar | First Published Oct 20, 2022, 8:24 PM ISTThe 9mm machine pistol would cost somewhere around Rs 50,000 per unit. The indigenously-developed machine pistol is more easy to use, accurate, light-weight, robust, reliable, compact and concealable.
The Union Home Ministry will soon be placing orders for acquiring the country's first indigenous machine pistol ASMI, jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian Army's Mhow-based Infantry School.
End users like the Central Armed Police Forces, which come under the Union home ministry and the Indian Navy, have already conducted extensive trials of the 9mm machine pistol that weighs less than 2kg.
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The 9mm Machine Pistol is currently being showcased at the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It must be noted that the ASMI was first unveiled during the Army innovation event in Delhi in 2021.
"Officials from both organisations (Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Navy) were happy with the performance of the machine pistol during the trials," sources said.
On being asked about the timeline of the delivery of the weapon, an official from Lokesh Machine Limited – the manufacturer of ASMI -- said: "We will deliver within six months of the day of contract signing."
On the production cost, the official added that it would be somewhere around Rs 50,000 per unit.
The government has been pushing the Indian defence industries for Make-For-World as well. "The ASMI has an export potential, and we will explore the opportunities in the global markets once the domestic order things are done."
During the curtain raiser event of the DefExpo 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed that India has exported defence items worth Rs 8,000 crore in the first six months of this financial year and aims to achieve a Rs 35,000 crore target by 2025.
Also Read: By 2025, India eyeing USD 5 billion exports, 22 billion turnover in defence sector: Rajnath Singh
What is a machine pistol?
A machine pistol is basically the self-loading version of a pistol, either fully automatic or can also fire bursts of bullets.
ASMI features
The machine pistol fires the 9 mm ammunition of Indian as well as the NATO version. It has a length of 382mm with the butt folded and 612mm with an extended one. The machine pistol is made of an aircraft-grade monolithic body with a hard coating and fibre polymer grip.
The indigenously-developed machine pistol is easier to use, accurate, lightweight, robust, reliable, compact and concealable.
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