Indian Army Troops Demand Rifles, Ammunition, Bulletproof Jackets

The Indian Army ground forces have requested for a long list of equipments, including rifles, ammunition and bulletproof jackets in response to notifications received from the Army and BSF to list out their requirements.

The troops on the ground have responded with their demands to provide rifles, ammunition, bulletproof jackets, hand-held thermal imagers, night vision devices, sandbags to fresh communication lines, India Today reported.

A long pending move is taking place when the armed forces along the borders and those tasked with internal security are at a high level of alert against terrorist strikes.

“However it is unclear when and how much it is going to be materialized.  The same thing happens every time when things get tensed up. Few requirements will be fulfilled, whereas most of them will not,” said an officer who was commanding a battalion posted on the LoC.

“Invariably, matters fall back to the same old pace. We hope things are different this time.” he added.

As the Army required over 3.5 lakh bulletproof vests but an order for 50,000 has been issued earlier this year, the Border Security Force is not in a better position by itself.

In a move made before the surgical strike, the Army has already cleared the procurement of about 250 Mine Proof Vehicles (MPVs) which are useful when tackling terrorists as they secure the troops and allow them mobility across all types of terrain.

These MPVs can carry up to a dozen fully armed personnel and also have a provision for gun sights in bullet proof glass from where troops can take on targets outside. These vehicles also have a provision to install a rotating, heavier gun on top of the vehicle. Those operating MPVs say it helps them move cross-country across most terrain even while taking fire and hitting back at terrorists.