Boom in the heartland

After nearly 80 years in service, the Carl-Gustaf weapon system continues to be in demand globally. Now, the Indian infantry’s go-to weapon will be made in Haryana

- SANJIB Kr BARUAH

Somewhere in Kashmir, near the Line of Control, an officer barked at his men: “Okay boys, time to take ‘em out. Get the RL ready.” It was the early 1990s and cross-border firing was frequent. The “RL” (rocket launcher) was an 84mm recoilless rifle.

Two soldiers got on the job. One positioned the weapon on his shoulder while another loaded it. A few seconds later, a boom was followed by a flash of destruction across the border. Plumes of smoke rose from what was a fortified bunker.

Carl-Gustaf, the Swedish-made, man-portable, recoilless rifle, was introduced in the Indian Army as an anti-tank weapon in 1976. It remains the go-to weapon for the infantry.

Brigadier Rumel Dahiya (retired) told THE WEEK: “Having used it so many times in exercises, field firings and competitions, what is impressive about the Carl-Gustaf is its versatility.” It can be fired from the shoulder, the air or a vehicle and can fire high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), illuminating and smoke ammunition rounds. “It is light and packs quite a punch,” he said. “To my mind, it is the ideal anti-tank weapon, up to about 500 metres. We also use the Russian RPG 7 (rocket-propelled grenade), but nothing to beat the much sophisticated Carl-Gustaf.”