Ordnance factory gets a deal to make cartridges for USA

Taking a big step towards exporting ammunition, India is now making cartridges for America. According to the state-run OFB, the NATO M-193 ball-ammunition for the US is being manufactured at the plant in Maharashtra and the supply is expected to be completed in this financial year.

According to the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), a 5.56-inch 45mm NATO M193 ball ammunition is being prepared for the US at the OFB plant in Varangaon, Maharashtra. OFB received this export-order directly from the US in October last month.

This export order will be fulfilled in this financial year, that is, all the orders for making cartridges will be fulfilled in this financial year. However, the OFB has not said how many cartridges will be made for America and how much the deal is worth.

Actually, the US military uses NATO M-193 ball ammunition for its rifles and carbines. For a long time, the forces of America and other NATO countries use this cartridge. For this need, America is now taking help from India.

Although there has been controversy over the functioning of OFB, but getting export orders from the US is an important step for OFB and the country. Because so far India is recognized as the world’s largest arms-importer. But for some time, the Modi government has been emphasizing on exports to the defense sector. The Ministry of Defense has set an export target of about 5 billion dollars or about 35 thousand crores in the defense sector by the year 2025. India’s exports to the defense sector in the year 2018-19 were about 11 thousand crores (10,745 crores), which was seven times more than in 2016-17.

In the same year, the BEL (government) company of India signed a deal to export indigenous Swathi Vapan location radar system from Armenia. Apart from this, India is also planning to export indigenous fighter jet LCA Tejas and supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos.