The Indian Army (IA) has for the second time rejected an indigenously designed assault rifle, and is now poised to issue a global tender to meet its long-pending requirement for 185,000 rifles.
Official sources told Jane's on 22 June that the IA cited "poor quality and ineffective firepower" as the reasons for refusing to accept the 7.62 x 51 mm rifle designed by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), following extended user trials at the Ishapore Rifle Factory, located in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
IA officers said the fully automatic rifle, which weighs 4.5 kg, had problems with its magazine, rate of fire, and flash and sound signature
