NO IRREGULARITIES IN PROCUREMENT OF
BULLETPROOF JACKETS
A report in the press
has alleged irregularities in the planned purchase of bullet proof
jackets which is factually untrue and incorrect.
The full facts are,
the Ministry of Defence issued a request for Proposal (RFP) on
23rd January, 2002 for the procurement of one lakh
Bullet Proof Jackets (BPJ). The RFP was issued to 104 vendors
out of which 27 responded and 12 finally qualified after meeting
the technical evaluation criteria.
The main issue
is the dilution of the General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR)
No. 759, which was issued on 16th June, 1998. The media
has made a passing reference to the fact that the GSQR against
which the RFP was issued on 23-1-02 was the new GSQR which is
No.878 issued on 25th September 2001.
The main point made
by the media is that while GSQR 759 specifies five types of bullets
to be stopped at various distances, the Ministry of Defence tender
in 2002 reduced this to three bullet varieties while the subsequent
Ministry of Home Affairs tender further trimmed the specifications
to two.
The above statement
is untrue.
The GSQR 759 specified
protection against (i) 7.62mm at 50 meters – AK-47/56 rifle,
(ii)7.62mm NATO ball at 50 meters (NATO Rifle), (iii) 7.62mm
Indian ball at 50 meters, (iv)5.56mm SS-109/M-193 at 50 meters
(US M-16 Rifle), (v)7.62mm Dragunov at 50 meters – Dragunov (Russian)
Rifle, (vi) 5.56mm INSAS (Indian Rifle), (vii) 9mm Carbine
at 5 meters, (viii) 9mm Pistol at 5 meters and (ix) 12 Bore
shot gun at 5 meters.
The GSQRs are reviewed
periodically and are changed if technology and operational requirements
of the Army so merit.
However, in the
meantime the Army observed certain characteristics of the ammunition
and found 7.62mm NATO ball and 7.62mm Indian ball identical. 5.56mm
SS-109 is the standard US Army & NATO forces ammunition and
not used by terrorists against the Indian Army and 5.56mm INSAS
is the new weapon system of the Army, which is also not used by
the terrorists. It was also observed that 9mm Carbine is more
lethal than 9mm Pistol and 12 Bore Shot Gun. This being so, reference
to these ammunitions were dropped in the GSQR 878.
In addition,
Army felt that there is a need to upgrade protection in the case
of AK-47rifle from 50 meters to 15 meters in GSQR No. 878.
In GSQR 878, Army
specified only 4 weapons (i)9mm Carbine from 10 meters, (ii)7.62mm
Dragunov Lead Core ammunition from 50 meters,
(iii) 7.62mm Indian
ball from 50 meters and (iv) 7.62mm AK-47 from 15 meters.
Thus, there
is no dilution of the GSQRs. In fact, protection levels have been
enhanced and not diluted, as has been wrongly reported In the
media.
The other issue raised
by the media is that jackets are required to be made with ECPE
patented material available from only two companies. This again
is far from true. The GSQR and RFP did not specify anyting
regarding the material to be used in the BPJs, it only specified
the physical parameters like weight, size, shape, design and protection
levels. The vendors were free to choose the material and supply
the equipment as per their own specifications. The final test
would be the protection levels that would be attained.
The trials
of the Bullet Proof Jackets are under process and a final view
is yet to be taken.
The Ministry of Defence
is fully conscious of the safety of the Jawans, especially in
close quarter encounters. The GSQRs are prepared by the Army Headquarters
after wide consultations with the Infantry Directorate, Director
General Quality Assurance, the Defence Research & Development
Organisation and the Department of Defence Production & Supplies.
There is no element at all of a mistake being made or a parameter
being diluted in such a vital equipment as the Bullet Proof Jackets.
There is absolutely
no truth in the statement made by the media that the GSQRs were
diluted and the soldiers are at risk. This kind of reports create
unnecessary doubts in the minds of the users. This seems to be
a deliberated attempt to demoralize the Army. This could adversely
affect the imperatives of national security.
The report gives
the impression that the procurement of Aluminium Caskets was not
done in a proper manner and similar fate awaits the procurement
of Bullet Proof Jackets.
The Ministry of
Defence followed proper procurement procedures both in the case
of Aluminium Caskets as well as the BPJs.
