Troops to get more upgraded weapons
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 8: With a view to enhance and strengthen its capability for anti-terrorist and anti-infiltration operations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army has started induction of sniper rifles and other modernized equipments and the entire process of induction will be completed shortly.
Sources told the Excelsior that Army would be inducting about 6000 sniper rifles along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir including twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara in Kashmir during next few months, which would be of great help to the troops in anti-militancy operations especially in thwarting intrusion bids from Pakistan as sniper rifles can strike the target from quite a distance.
“Army has a target of purchasing around 6000 sniper rifles for the soldiers deployed all along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The induction process has begun with arrival of some of the weapons from global suppliers. As soon as all weapons are received, they will be inducted on the LoC to strengthen capability of the troops during anti-infiltration operations,” they said.
The sniper rifles will replace Dragonov SVD rifles with Army soldiers on the LoC.
Induction of sniper rifles on the LoC, according to sources, will go a long way in more forcefully countering infiltration attempts by the troops on the LoC as these weapons can target the infiltrators from a very long distance. The targets can be hit very accurately with these weapons, sources said.
Sources, however, added that upgradation of weaponry is an ongoing exercise.
“Other equipments which enhance counter terrorism capability of the Army along the LoC were also being inducted,” sources said, adding that further capability building of the troops is in the pipeline”.
As per the reports, soldiers guarding the LoC are being armed with deadly new sniper rifles, including an anti-material rifle that can go through concrete and metal objects, such as vehicles.
The guns being given to the soldiers are the .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT by Beretta, and the .50 Caliber M95 by Barrett. These snipers will replace the ageing Russian Dragunov, the mainstay of Indian Army soldiers, sources pointed out.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat had said last month that “the Northern Command of the Indian Army taking care of the borders with Pakistan and some parts of Line of Actual Control is soon going to be equipped with the new sniper rifles from this month.”
The US-made Barrett M95 is an anti-material rifle which has a whopping range of 1,800 meters.
The other gun that will be available to the troops along the LoC is the Victrix Armaments .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT, owned by Italian firm Beretta. The Scorpio TGT uses the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6 70mm or 8.58 70mm), a rimless, bottlenecked, centre-fire rifle cartridge.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
