New Delhi: The Indian Army has selected Israeli firm Meprolight’s MEPRO X6 telescopic sight as the dedicated daytime optic for its in-service NEGEV 7.62×51 light machine gun (LMG), deliveries of which will begin at the end of this fiscal.
In August 2024, the Army had ordered 41,000 NEGEVs to replace the ageing 5.56x45mm INSAS light machine guns.
Though originally designed and produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), Negev is now manufactured at the Adani Group’s facility in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The group acquired PLR Systems—IWI’s local partner for small arms manufacturing in India since 2016—turning it into a subsidiary.
In 2020, the forces got 16,479 units of the LMG through fast-track procurement (FTP) on an emergency basis. All those deliveries have since been completed.
And now the Army has ordered for its sights. These sights, with a range of 800 metres as specified by the Army, will be manufactured in India by RRP Defence under a Transfer of Technology pact with Meprolight. The Indian private company will then supply the sights to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which has won the Army tender.
The MEPRO X6 is a fixed 6x magnification telescopic sight designed for assault rifles, light machine guns and other weapon systems that require a combination of precision, ruggedness and high optical performance.
The sight provides enhanced target identification and acquisition capabilities, a wide field of view and dependable performance under demanding environmental and operational conditions, the company said.
“It is a very prestigious order for us because it is part of our growth process in India where we have been for decades. We are hoping that the orders will go up since the actual number of NGEVs in use is higher than this order,” Meprolight senior vice-president Golan Kalimi told ThePrint.
He said that the Indian Army already used several of Meprolight’s sights like the Mepro Mor, GLS, MCO, and X6.
“There were extensive trials led by the Indian Army and we are happy that BEL won the contract using our solution,” he said.
The Army had sought an advanced daytime optic capable of enhancing operational effectiveness at extended ranges of the NEGEV. Its evaluation process included extensive user assessments and rigorous environmental testing focused on reliability, durability, accuracy and ease of operation under demanding conditions, a statement released by the Israeli company said.
“The future of military capability will be defined not only by platforms and weapons, but by the quality of the information available to the soldier at the moment of decision,” Kalimi said.
He added that the selection of the MEPRO X6 by the Indian Army is a significant milestone.
The company said that the delivery of the sights will be conducted through the BEL, which secured the tender with a solution based on the MEPRO X6.
“To support local manufacturing and the Make in India initiative, Meprolight has signed a comprehensive Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with RRP Defense, under which the company will transfer the knowledge, processes and manufacturing capabilities required for full production of the MEPRO X6 in India.
“RRP Defense will manufacture the sights locally and supply them to BEL, which will serve as the prime contractor to the Indian Army under the program,” the company statement said.
Meprolight is part of the SK Group whose portfolio comprises of globally recognized companies such as IWI (Israel Weapon Industries), Meprolight, Camero-Tech, ELVO, Israel Shipyards, IsraelShipyards Port, Uni-Scope Optical Solutions and Oshira.
(Edited by Tony Rai)