New multi-purpose weapon system Carl-Gustaf M4 launched at Defence Expo

PANAJI: A new multi-purpose weapon system, Carl-Gustaf M4, has been launched for the first time in India at DefExpo 2016 by Swedish arm company FFV Ordnance, a part of defence and security company Saab, to mark forty years of its association with the country.

"The Carl-Gustaf M4 is the latest man-portable shoulder-launched multi-purpose weapon system from FFV Ordnance, designed to provide users with flexible capability and help troops remain agile in any scenario," a statement issued by the company said.

For decades, Saab has been represented in India by its fully-owned subsidiary FFV Ordnance in the area of ground combat support weapons.

"The shoulder-launched weapon system Carl-Gustaf is the flagship of FFV Ordnance's product family and it has a long and successful history," Bo Thörn, Head of FFV Ordnance said.

"The Carl-Gustaf system, along with its wide range of ammunition, has been in service with the Indian army subsequent to the first supply-cum-cooperation agreement to produce in India was signed on April 17, 1976," he said.

The Transfer of Technology under the contract for Carl-Gustaf Weapon M2 and five different types of ammunition was successfully absorbed by Ordnance Factory Board leading to the system being completely made in India within ten years, Thorn said.

"Following this, additional contracts for Transfer of Technology for manufacturing have also been signed and successfully executed between the parties," he added.

"Since 1976, FFV Ordnance and the Ordnance Factory Board have been partners for the production of the various Carl Gustaf weapon systems and its family of ammunition," Thorn said.

"We are looking forward to continue to build on and further deepen this four decade cooperation and to celebrate the anniversary, we are showcasing our newly developed Carl-Gustaf M4 for the first time ever at a land exhibition in India," he said.