Hello defence lovers! In this article, we are going to discuss a fascinating topic. The Israeli IWI Tavor is the standard issue Assault rifle of the Indian Special forces since 2002. Since then small arms technology has evolved a lot. Few domestic arms manufacturers are producing world-class small arms in India. So we will try to figure out if Tavor is still good enough for our special forces.
Introduction
The Israeli Weapon Industry (IWI) Tavor Tar-21 is a bullpup assault rifle chamber in 5.56x45mm NATO. It is a long-stoke weapon with select fire capability. It can fire in full auto and semi-auto firing modes. It has a rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute and an effective range of 550 meters. It is fed by 30 rounds of STANAG magazine. There are many variants like CTAR-21, GTAR-21, and STAR-21.
In 2002, the government signed a ₹880 million contract with IWI to supply 3,070 manufactured TAR-21s to be issued to India’s special forces personnel. Later many follow-up orders were given by the special forces. In 2016, IWI announced that it was establishing a 49:51 joint venture with Punj Lloyd in India to manufacture Tavors locally in India.
How Should a Special Forces Weapon Be?
The requirement of the elite commandoes of our special forces is very different from that of our regular infantry soldiers. The key difference is the infantry opts for a standardized weapon whereas the special forces opt for specialized weapons depending upon the mission profile. In general, a special forces weapon should be very versatile, light, and compact. It should be compatible with various types of attachments such as different types of sights, laser illuminators, under-barrel grenade launchers, suppressors, etc.
Also Read, TAVOR: Reliable Firepower Of Indian Special Forces
New Technologies in Assault Rifles
The newest innovation in small arms technology, especially in assault rifles is the introduction of 6.8 mm ammunition. The US army is planning to phase out its M4 and other AR-15-type rifles. The 6.8 mm ammunition is the transition between 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm cartridges. The 5.56 mm is a faster and lighter round whereas the 7.62 mm rounds have better stopping power. The 6.8 mm is the best of both worlds. We have two prominent designs which use the 6.8 mm rounds. One is Sig Suar XM5 and another is General Dynamics RM 227. RM 227 is a special type of weapon as its ammunition uses a polymer casing instead of a traditional metallic casing.
Available Alternatives
Now let us look at some alternatives to the Tavor that are available today which are highly popular among special forces worldwide.
HK416
Heckler and Koch 416 is one of the best AR-15 type assault rifles in the world. It is widely popular among special forces around the globe. The specialty of this rifle is to remain cool due to its short-stroke gas chamber design. The weapon also offers greater resistance to jamming compared to a standard M4 rifle. It is compatible with a wide range of accessories.
AK-15
The Kalashnikovs are favourites of the veterans of the armed forces. These are very popular among Indian special forces such as Marcos and Para SF due to their rugged and reliable nature. Thus Ak-15 which is the most advanced weapon in the Kalashnikov family would be a great choice for the Special forces.
According to reports in 2021, Indian Special Forces will receive AK-15 rifles in limited numbers. This contract is assumed to be part of the greater deal of AK 203 rifles.
X95
IWI X95 is the shorter version of Tavor. The X95 is lighter and more compact compared to its bigger sibling. It also comes with additional Picatinny rails to mound additional systems. Moreover, these rifles are manufactured by Punj Lyod Raksha systems in India. Already CAPF special units are operating these rifles in large numbers.
Conclusion
The greatest weapon of a special force commando is the mind. The machine does not matter. It is the man behind the machine that matters. A special forces commando will be as lethal in an AKM as in any other weapon. Since these soldiers are the best of the best, our government tries to equip them with the best weapons possible. They handle the most complex missions that our armed forces encounter. Thus they need specialized weapons depending upon the mission profile. The IWI Tavor is well suited for this purpose due to its versatile nature. The special forces do not need a replacement for Tavor as the standard issue rifle however having variations of weapons will enable our braveheart commandos to choose from different weapon combinations based on their requirements.
