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2020-11-12

CARACAL to Make Assault Rifles in India

The UAE-based small arms manufacturer, CARACAL, has stressed its commitment to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and offered transfer of technology to India.

The world-renowned company, which had previously been selected by the Indian Ministry of Defence in 2018 to fast-track the supply of 93,895 CAR 816 assault rifles to the Indian Army, has stressed its commitment to fully manufacture in India from the start of the contract, as opposed to the initial phased approach.

CARACAL has identified the required land, facility and local partners to be able to commence production immediately. Over 20 per cent of the components fitted on the CAR 816 are already made in India.

CARACAL’s commitment to fully manufacture the rifles within the country will also see the company oversee technology transfer.

The company surpassed global competitors in terms of performance and technicalities to win the bid two years ago, and has now confirmed its readiness to service the fast track order from India within 12 months.

Hamad Al Ameri, Chief Executive Officer, CARACAL, said: “CARACAL was awarded the Close-Quarter Carbine contract 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. With strong bilateral ties between our two nations, and with India being a key market for CARACAL, we remain on standby to supply the product to the customer upon instruction.”

The CAR 816 carbines are primarily intended to replace the Indian Army’s current 9mm Sterling carbines, with the CAR 816 boasting higher bullet velocity and reduced weight.

CARACAL is known to build high-quality firearms in state-of-the-art facilities, using some of the world’s best machines and moulding technologies.

The assault rifle has already secured a number of contracts from customers across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and has been neatly adapted to suit the Indian Army’s needs, incorporating the latest technological advances.

The CAR 816 is a centre-fire, gas-operated tactical rifle, chambered in 5.56x45 mm NATO. It is a tactical weapon designed for the high-end use of law enforcement and military applications. The weapon is available in semi-automatic and select-fire configurations.

CARACAL is part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond, and has wholly owned subsidiaries in Germany and the U.S.

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