Make-in-India Boost: Indian Army to Procure 1 Lakh Indigenous 9-mm Pistols

The Indian Army plans to procure one lakh indigenous 9-mm pistols to boost self-reliance under the Make-in-India initiative. The pistols will replace older weapons and be used across plains, deserts and high-altitude areas.

New Delhi: Giving an impetus to the government ambitious ‘Make-in-India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliance initiative in the defence sector, the ministry of defence has issued a request for information (RFI) to procure one lakh indigenous 9-mm pistol for the Indian Army.

As per the RFI, the Army seeks to procure 9mm pistols along with accessories, including night sights and targeting options.

Modern 9-mm pistols to replace Ishapore weapons

Desirous of its licensed production along with accessories after acquiring Transfer of Technology (if applicable), the 9-mm pistols will be employed in plains, desert and high-altitude (upto 18000 feet) mountainous terrain and associated environmental conditions.

It will replace the existing 9mm semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol from Rifle Factory Ishapore, used for close-range enemy engagement.

The Army wants new 9mm pistols featuring ambidextrous controls, suppressors and accessory rails to modernise older weapons.

As of now, the special force units of the Indian Army use imported 9-mm pistols.

The DRDO and Indian Army have already designed a 9-mm weapon for counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, incorporating 3D-printed parts and a high rate of fire.

As per the RFI, the 9-mm pistol should function day and night in common weather conditions across all terrains. It should also be operational in temperature conditions ranging from (-) 30 to 55 Celsius.

As far as the design concept is concerned, the RFI stated that the pistol must be modular in design for future upgrades through simple modifications, not leading to design or structural change.

"It should also facilitate integration and installation of accessories, without impacting the performance of any system or sub-system."