The Pune-based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army’s Infantry School in Mhow have jointly developed India’s first indigenous 9mm machine pistol named ‘Asmi’, which is likely to have a production cost under Rs 50,000 each and has potential to be exported as well.
The Asmi machine pistol fires the in-service 9 mm ammunition and has an upper receiver made from aircraft-grade aluminium and lower receiver from carbon fibre. The 3D printing technology has been used in designing and prototyping various parts, including trigger components, which have been made by metal 3D printing.
DRDO’s Pune facility, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), and the Infantry School designed and developed this weapon utilising their respective areas of expertise in a record time of four months. Machine pistols are primarily self-loading versions of pistols which are either fully automatic or can fire bursts of bullets.
A press statement from the Ministry of Defence said, “The weapon has huge potential in Armed forces as a personal weapon for heavy weapon detachments, commanders, tank and aircraft crews, drivers and dispatch riders, radio or radar operators, for Closed Quarter Battles, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations etc. This is also likely to find huge employability with the central and state police organisations as well as VIP protection duties and policing. The Machine Pistol is likely to have a production cost under Rs 50,000 each and has potential for exports. The weapon is aptly named Asmi which means pride, self-respect and also hard work.”
The announcement of the development of another indigenous, cutting-edge combat weapon comes about a month after a Carbine, jointly developed by the ARDE and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), completed the final phase of user trials by the Army, clearing the way for induction into the armed forces. The Carbine, which is slated to replace the ageing 9 mm version currently in use by the armed forces, is the fruit of an ongoing effort to modernise the armoury of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) as well as state police forces.
2021-01-14 06:43:42
