This week, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) announced a new submachine gun for India’s military has cleared its final phase of trials before it can be rolled out to the troops.
On Thursday, the DRDO tweeted, “User Trails of 5.56 X 30mm Joint Venture Protective Carbine designed by DRDO have been completed meeting all GSQR parameters.”
User Trails of 5.56 X 30mm Joint Venture Protective Carbine designed by DRDO have been completed meeting all GSQR parameters. @DefenceMinIndia https://t.co/Enq5ftq9ws
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) December 10, 2020
The Times of India reported the new submachine gun, known as the Joint Venture Protective Carbine, or JVPC, cleared user trails on Dec. 7. The new weapon comes as India has been working to produce new domestically developed equipment for its military.
The Times of India reported the JVPC came about after the Indian Army’s search for a new carbine for years after a previously middle-eastern rifle became stuck at the final stages of development. The DRDO opened up the development process for the JVPC and its recent success in trials is a step towards a new indigenously designed and manufactured carbine.
Indian army had a long series of tests and trials for the JVPC since its early design was unveiled. The carbine in the initial phase of designing had minor shortcomings according to Indian Army’s requirements. Since then the JVPC has received improved quality and functional capabilities and the DRDO has brought forward the carbine in its complete final form, which the Indian Army accepted and cleared for mass-production.
The final series of trials were conducted in extreme temperatures in the summer and winter, with the JVPC successfully standing up to cold weather conditions.
The JVPC, also called the Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) is a gas-operated rotating bolt semi bullpup automatic weapon, chambered in 5.56x30mm. The round reportedly boast the ability to penetrate bulletproof vets.
The carbine has 700-800 round per minute rate of firing and an effective firing range of 100-200 meters (about 328-656 feet).
The carbine weighs around 3 kg (about 6.6 pounds) and features a modern single pistol grip handle design like, similar to the famous Israeli Uzi. The JVPC also has a retractable buttstock, low recoil, improved ergonomics, modular 30 round magazine fed through the pistol grip, allowing the user to use it in one hand effectively. The carbine can also be configured with various Picatinny rails to allow installation of various sights and weapon attachments.
JVPC was developed by DRDO’s arms development wing, the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and manufactured by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board at a small-arms factory in Kanpur and the Ordinance Factory Tiruchirapalli.
The Ministry of Home Affairs already accepted the JVPC in 2019 for its Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force, and now the carbine is in production to fill orders placed by the Central Police Force and various state police forces like Chattisgarh Police.
India also plans to market the JVPC for export after successfully inducting it into its own military and police forces first.
