Despite an in-principle by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to cancel the tender for Close Quarter Carbines (CQB) for the Army, United Arab Emirates (UAE) based small arms manufacturer Caracal, which was earlier shortlisted in the deal, said it was going ahead with investment in India and would fully manufacture the carbines in the country.
“Caracal has already identified the required land, facility and local partners to be able to commence production immediately. Over 20% of the components fitted on the CAR 816 are already made in India, with Caracal now making commitment to fully manufacture the rifles in-country, in alignment with the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” the company said in a statement. The initiative would also see Caracal overseeing technology transfer, it stated.
No formal decision on cancelling the tender had been communicated yet by the Ministry to the company, an industry executive said.
“Caracal was awarded the CQB in 2018 to supply the Indian Army with the CAR-816, after having undergone a rigorous selection process. Having agreed to fast track the supply, and with the formalities still under discussion, we would like to reiterate our commitment to our bid and to the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” said Hamad Al Ameri, Chief Executive Officer of Caracal.
DAC approved deals
The deals for 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in January 2018 to be processed through the Fast Track Procurement (FTP) route. While the one for assault rifles was concluded with Sig Saur and SIG-716 assault rifles delivered to the Army, the CQB deal, in which Caracal was selected as the lowest bidder, was held up.
The CAR-816 meant to replace the 9mm Sterling carbines in service have higher bullet velocity and reduced weight, the company said. adding that the carbine had been adapted to “suit the Indian Army’s needs, incorporating the latest technological advances”. The order would be completed within 12 months.
