Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System

Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System (MCIWS) is the new assault rifle developed by ARDE Pune of DRDO and likely to be manufactured by OFT Trichy of OFB, India.

Design and development
The Indian Army requires a single assault rifle that can engage targets at various distances. Rather than using different weapons for different distances, the Armament Research and Development Establishment laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation decided to design a single multi-caliber individual weapon system for a variety of situations. The MCIWS is designed to change between 5.56 mm for targets at 400 meters, 7.62 mm for targets out to 300 meters, and 6.8 mm influenced by 6.8 mm Remington SPC designed to address the deficiencies of the terminal performance of the 5.56x45mm. Caliber conversion is achieved by changing the barrel group, breech block, and magazine. Different barrel lengths will also be available for each caliber. The rifle is machined with aluminum alloy, is feed from 30-round plastic magazines, and features an adjustable stock and ambidextrous controls. A picatinny rail system allows accessories to be mounted including a CCD camera day sight and thermal imaging night sight to engage targets in day/night conditions. An indigenously-designed under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) capable of firing airbursting 40mm grenade rounds is also being developed. Development of the MCIWS began in late 2012. The prototyping of the rifle began in 2013 and is to be handed over to the Army for trials after demonstrations.