New Delhi: As part of its exercise to modernise the Indian Army, it is now waiting for getting the Close Quarter Battle (CQB) Carbines having already put in place a deal for the Light Machine Guns (LMGs).

“A decision is expected by later this month. It is now close to fifteen months since the UAE based Caracal Company was declared L1 after extensive trials for a $553.33 million deal. The Oversight Committee has already submitted its report to the Ministry of Defence (MoD),” sources said.

The CQBs for the infantry is coming through the Fast Track Procurement (FTP), just like the LMGs. The Indian Army is looking to buy 93,895 CQBs in an effort to modernise its infantry. However, the deal has not been finalised with the UAE based company.

Despite meeting all the specifications as well as the requirements mentioned in the Request for Proposal (RFP), and giving detailed responses to the MoD, final decision has not been taken yet.

After being declared as L1, UAE based Caracal has already been through the Commercial Negotiating Committee (CNC), and has completed the Acceptance Test Procedure report, and submitted it along with other documents to the Defence Ministry.

The Company is NATO compliant and has been supplying these CQBs to other armed forces across the globe. The trials for the India market were extensive in nature and had been carried out in India as well as the home country of the companies who had bid for this order. The tests were carried out with Indian ammunition in different terrain.

Since the deal will be under the FTP, within one year of the inking of the contract the deliveries will start. There is an urgent requirement for seven lakh CQBs, which is why these will come through the FTP.