Ammunition Manufacture

Indian Army receives supply of 480 indigenous loitering munitions

In a major success for indigenous weapon systems, the Indian Army has received the supply of 480 loitering munitions made by a Nagpur-based defence manufacturing firm with over 75 per cent indigenous content.The first indigenous Loiter Munition, Nagastra-1, developed by Solar Industries in Nagpur has supplied the complete lot of 480 loitering munitions under a contract signed under emergency procurement powers by the force, defence officials said.The indigenous loitering munition named Nagastra-1 has an indigenous content of more than 75 per cent and has been designed and developed indigenously by the firm.The system is man-portable, and light and is intended to be used for precision strike capabilities by the Army troops, officials said.Solar Industries is working on the advanced versions of the munition named Nagastra-2 and Nagastra-3 with extended performance and warhead carrying capabilities.Solar Industries has also submitted proposals to the defence forces for the Design &

Switzerland bars exports to Polish firm after ammunition ends up in Ukraine

The Swiss government said on Friday it is barring exports to a Polish military hardware supplier after concluding that some 645,000 rounds of Swiss-made small-caliber ammunition ended up in Ukraine in violation of Swiss law. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said exports to the Polish company will be barred because the risk of diversion to Ukraine is assessed as being too high. Switzerland has long touted its neutrality in world affairs, and Swiss law bans exports of Swiss-owned or Swiss-made military hardware to countries in conflict. However the Swiss government has backed European Union economic sanctions against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The secretariat opened an investigation after a report by US-based news outlet Defence One last November indicated a Ukrainian company had taken receipt of 645,000 rifle cartridges of armour-piercing rounds made by SwissP Defense and delivered by a Polish importer, UMO. The investigation showed that the S

NIA chargesheets key accused involved in trafficking arms to Manipur

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key accused involved in the supply of illegal arms and ammunition to Manipur and other states across the country, according to an official statement issued on Friday. The chargesheet was filed against Solomona alias Hminga alias Lalmithanga, a resident of Mizoram, before the NIA special court here on Thursday, it said. The NIA filed a case against Lalngaihawma, Lalmuanawma and others on December 26 last year, based on inputs that some Mizoram-based entities were part of a syndicate involved in trafficking of arms, ammunition, explosive etc., in the northeastern region of the country, said the statement issued by the probe agency. Investigations had revealed that Solomona, along with Lalngaihawma, Lalmuanawma and others, was involved in the criminal conspiracy of procurement and supply of arms, ammunition and explosive material to Myanmar, and from there to Manipur, for use in violent disruptive activities aimed at promoting

Pennsylvania ammo plant boosts artillery production in Russia-Ukraine fight

A Pennsylvania ammunition plant that makes a key artillery shell in Ukraine's fight against Russia has managed to boost production by 50% to meet surging demand, with more capacity set to come on line. Government officials revealed the increase in production this week as they showcased the historic factory's ongoing, $400 million modernization. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant cuts and forges 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bars of steel into 155 mm howitzer rounds that are then shipped to Iowa to be packed with explosives and fitted with fuses. From there, many of them make their way to the fight in Ukraine, where they are highly sought. The Scranton plant, along with two other ammunition plants in nearby Wilkes-Barre, recently increased production from 24,000 rounds per month to 36,000 rounds per month. Three new production lines are under development that will allow the Scranton facility to churn out even more of the critical munitions, the factory's top official said. Right now we

Govt introduces draft Explosives Bill 2024 to replace Explosives Act, 1884

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has proposed raising fines for violation of regulations and enhancing the efficiency of licencing procedures

Thousands of grenades, bullets missing from army bases: Colombian Prez

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition have gone missing from two military bases in the South American country. In a brief statement, Petro said that an inspection this month by the army found that hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles were stolen from a military base in the centre of the country and another near the Caribbean coast. Petro, the country's first left-wing president, said the ammunition might have ended up in the hands of Colombian rebel groups, or may have been sold illegally to criminal groups overseas, including Haitian gangs. The only way to explain these missing items is that there are networks made up of people within the armed forces who are involved in the illegal arms trade, Petro said. Petro said that inspections of military bases would continue in order to separate the armed forces from any type of criminal organisation. The investigation comes as Colombi

'Leap forward in self-reliance': Adani Defence unveils ammo, missile sites

The inauguration coincided with the fifth anniversary of Operation Bandar, the Indian Air Force (IAF) bomb strikes on a terrorist camp inside Pakistani territory

Nato signs key artillery ammunition contract to replenish allied supplies

NATO signed on Tuesday a USD 1.2-billion contract to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling stocks of its member countries as they supply ammunition to Ukraine to help it defeat Russia's invasion. The contract will allow for the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimetre ammunition, the most widely sought after artillery shell, according to NATO's support and procurement agency. It will allow allies to backfill their arsenals and to provide Ukraine with more ammunition. This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. We cannot allow President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine," he added. "That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us. Ukraine was firing around 4,000 to 7,000 artillery shells each day last summer, while Russia was launching more than 20,000 shells daily in its neighbour's territory, ...

Ammunition, war-like stores recovered during search operation in Manipur

Based on inputs about the presence of arms in the general area of Kouburu Ridge, in the Noney district, a joint team of Assam Rifles and Manipur Police launched a joint search operation on Dec 23

Ammunition manufacturing: MoD inks Rs 5,336 cr contract with BEL

The 10-year contract between the defence ministry and BEL has been signed for the procurement of electronic fuzes for Indian Army

Manipur warring groups still in possession of 600,000 bullets: Officials

Over six lakh bullets and around 3,000 weapons are still with the warring communities in strife-torn Manipur with officials and experts warning of a resurgence of banned terror groups in the state. Quoting data collected from various sources, officials closely monitoring the situation here said that .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns (MMG) and AK assault rifles, carbines, Insas Light Machine Guns (LMG), Insas rifles, M-16 and MP5 rifles were reported to be missing from the armouries of the police in May. Besides these, around 6 lakh bullets have been found missing during the waves of attacks carried out on police and other security officials from May 3 when the ethnic clashes began in the state with two dominant communities targeting each other. These attacks have so far claimed over 160 lives. The officials said around 4,537 arms and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition were missing mainly from Manipur Police Training Centre (MTPC) at Pangei in East Imphal, 7th India Reserve battalion and

Arms, ammunition 'looted' from armouries: CBI visit crime scenes in Manipur

The special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI probing Manipur violence cases and forensic experts from the CFSL have visited the scenes in Imphal and Churachandpur linked to the alleged loot of arms and ammunition from armouries, officials said on Friday. The team faced protests from locals near Pangei when a group of women put up a roadblock. But it managed to complete its work and return safely on Thursday, the officials said. During the course of the investigation, the CBI team and the experts from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) visited the crime scenes at the Manipur Police Training College (MPTC) at Pangei, besides Naoremthong, located close to the NG Collge near Imphal, they said. The forensic experts collected samples and took photographs at the MPTC. A mob allegedly made off with a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the MPTC armoury on May 3, the officials said. The SIT also visited Churachandpur in connection with the investigation of a case related

Nato set to boost troops on high alert and increase ammunition production

NATO is set to boost the number of troops on high alert and increase ammunition production, its Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said

DRDO conducts validation trial of underground ammunition storage structure

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a trial of design validation of a state-of-the-art underground ammunition storage facility. The Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), a Delhi-based laboratory of the DRDO, has designed and developed the vertical shaft-based underground storage facility. "The design validation trial of this underground ammunition storage structure was successfully conducted on April 30," the defence ministry said. "The instrumented blast trial was carried out in presence of the armed forces by detonating 5,000 kg of TNT in one of the chambers of the underground facility," it said in a statement. The ministry said the CFEES team conducted the trial with precision and utmost safety measures in place. "All the parameters recorded during the trial matched with estimated values. This facility will ensure that an explosion within will not cause damage to the adjacent chamber and also ensure full ...

In a first, Indian Navy to use locally manufactured ammunition

Notching a first, the Indian Navy will use 100 per cent indigenous 30 mm high explosive gun ammunition manufactured by a private company, officials said here on Saturday

Amid face-off with China, Army ammo worth $190 mn languishes in Russia

Army has not carried out pre-despatch inspection (PDI) for the last seven months

Privatisation of ammunition manufacture kicks off in Delhi

Sitharaman pointedly said OFB and DPSUs have 'immense opportunities and immense assets', with which they can meet most of the military's requirements

Private firms seek level playing field in ammunition manufacture

A year ago, govt issued RFPs to Indian private industry for manufacturing eight types of ammunition out of the 82 types the army requires