The Ministry of Defence sealed two major contracts totaling ₹4,666 crore on Tuesday to arm the Army and Navy with modern close-quarter battle carbines and heavyweight torpedoes for submarines. The deals push the fiscal’s capital procurement tally past ₹1.82 lakh crore, sharpening infantry firepower and underwater strike power amid rising regional tensions. Bharat Forge and Adani Group’s PLR Systems landed the carbine order, while Italy’s WASS Submarine Systems got the nod for torpedoes, blending homegrown manufacturing with specialised imports.
The torpedoes enhance the Navy’s six Kalvari-class boats under the ₹23,562 crore Project 75, while the carbines replace submachine guns from the 1940s. The signing was overseen by Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who celebrated it as a victory for Atmanirbhar Bharat following years of procurement obstacles. Beginning next year, deliveries will close important gaps in subsurface warfare and urban combat.
Carbines Deal Arms Troops for Urban Fights:
Over 4.25 lakh 5.56mm close-quarters battle carbines and equipment for Army and Navy troops are covered by a ₹2,770 crore deal. Production is shared 60:40 between Bharat Forge and PLR Systems, the Adani Defense partnership with Israel’s IWI. Instead of using heavy legacy systems that hindered soldiers, these small weapons have high fire rates for confined areas like buildings or trenches.
The government described it as the culmination of a difficult journey to equip soldiers with superior lethality using Indian technology. Deliveries begin in September 2026 and will be completed in five years. Bharat Forge plans to finish in four years, batching 5,000 units at a time. This private sector team showed government-industry collaboration under Make in India by overcoming previous setbacks. The carbines, which are quick and devastating in situations where every second matters, give infantry a significant advantage in contemporary clashes.
Torpedoes Supercharge Kalvari Submarines:
The ₹1,896 crore deal brings 48 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes with integration gear for Kalvari-class (Scorpene) subs. WASS, under Italy’s Leonardo, supplies these advanced weapons starting April 2028, finishing by early 2030. They pack serious punch and tech features, ramping up the Navy’s six boats’ hunt-and-kill ability against enemy ships or subs.
Project 75’s Scorpene fleet gets a lethality boost, vital as India eyes Indo-Pacific threats. The torpedoes fit niche needs no local firm matched yet, but the contract underscores commitment to specialised gear. Finmeccanica’s past blacklisting from a chopper scandal lifted in 2021 cleared the path. Together with carbines, these deals modernise forces fast, hitting operational must-haves head-on.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Powers Defence Push:
The ₹1,82,492 crore in contracts for FY26 show the high gear of modernization, from underwater missiles to guns. Carbine output is led by private companies like PLR and Bharat Forge, reducing reliance on imports and creating jobs in manufacturing. Although the torpedoes address a high-end gap, the general focus remains on self-reliance, substituting domestic weaponry for antiques.Carbines work well in the limited volatility of urban operations, where high-volume fire quickly turns the tide. Kalvari’s reach is extended with sub torpedoes, which are accurate and covert in disputed waters. The agreements, which were signed in the midst of border tensions, show that government-private cooperation is ready to deliver where bureaucracy had previously balked. India’s forces are strengthened, with troops receiving top-notch equipment and Navy silent killers.
