Navy, Coast Guard get new 12.7mm M2 heavy machine guns

Tiruchirapalli-based Ordnance Factory on Saturday handed over a total of 25 12.7mm M2 NATO standard heavy machine guns or the stabilised remote control gun system to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, amidst its restructuring process. 

Of these, 15 guns were handed over to the Indian Navy while 10 to the Indian Coast Guard. 

Manufactured under the Transfer of Technology agreement from Israeli weapon maker Elbit Systems, the guns are meant for marine applications and can remotely engage targets.

The guns are equipped with an inbuilt charge-coupled device camera, thermal image, and a laser range finder to observe and track targets through the day and night operations. 

"OFB Tiruchirapalli has also created modern state-of-art assembly and testing facilities for the indigenous manufacture of the SRCG system," OFB said in a statement. 

On the occasion, Director General of Naval Armament KSC Iyer, Director General Ordnance Factories and Chairman of OFB CS Vishwakarma were present. 

Last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the weapon through video-conferencing as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. 

Elbit Systems had won the contract worth $173 million. The contract will be executed over a five-year period.

The SRCG family is a third-generation, multi-purpose weapon system for small and mid-calibre weapons. 

Since 2016, India has been negotiating to buy 747 12.7 mm guns from Elbit Systems. 

Ammunition for the 12.7 mm RWSs would be manufactured at the OFB plant in Kolkata.

• Coast Guard
• Elbit Systems
• Indian Navy
• Transfer of Technology
• heavy machine guns
• 12.7mm M2 heavy machine guns
• defence
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