Knives used by the Indian Armed Forces

Knives used by the Indian Army

The Indian military has many weapons in its arsenal which are advanced and capable of dealing with enemies. But do you know that Indian Armed forces use knives in terms of close combat and let me tell you these are also lethal weapons in terms of combat. This article will contain all the information about the different kinds of knives used in the Indian Military. 

Know about the Assault rifles of the Indian Military

In the Indian Army arsenal there are three knives used in the Indian Armed Forces :-

  • Khukri
  • M9 Bayonet
  • Glock knife

Khukri 

Khukri Knives

The kukri or khukuri is a type of machete originating from the Indian subcontinent, and is traditionally associated with the Nepali-speaking Gurkhas of Nepal. The knife has a distinct recurve in its blade. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting tool throughout most of South Asia. 

The kukri is effective as a chopping weapon, due to its weight, and slashing weapon, because the curved shape creates a “wedge” effect which causes the blade to cut effectively and deeper. Because the blade bends towards the opponent, the user need not angle the wrist while executing a chopping motion.

The blade has traditionally served the role of a basic utility knife for the Gurkhas. The kukri is the national weapon of Nepal, and consequently is a characteristic weapon of the Nepalese Army.

There have been, and still are many myths surrounding the kukri since its earliest recorded use in the 7th century—most notably that a traditional custom revolves around the blade in which it must draw blood, owing to its sole purpose as a fighting weapon, before being sheathed. However, they are frequently used as regular utility tools.

The kukri is in standard service with various regiments and units within the Indian Army, such as the Assam Rifles, the Kumaon Regiment, the Garhwal Rifles and the various Gorkha regiments.

M9 Bayonet

M9 Bayonet Knives

The M9 Bayonet, officially known as the M9 Phrobis III, is a multi-purpose knife and bayonet officially adopted in 1986 by the United States. It has a 18 cm blade and is issued with a sheath designed to double as a wire cutter. The M9 bayonet was designed and developed by Charles A. “Mickey” Finn at his R & D company Qual-A-Tec.and it is the standard issue combat knife and bayonet of the Indian Army.

It is a refined copy of the Russian AKM 6H3 bayonet. He later produced it under the Phrobis III name, filling a military contract for 325,000 units. Buck Knives was contracted to make 300,000 units and sold a commercial version under their own name. Finn’s designs proved extremely popular, and were widely counterfeited and sold illegally by other makers. In 1989, Finn received U.S. Patent 4,821,356, however, unlicensed copies continued to flow unchecked into the United States from Asia and Mexico, cutting into legitimate sales.

Glock Knives

Glock knives

The Glock knife is a military field knife product line designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. It can also be used as a bayonet, by engaging a socket in the pommel into a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the Steyr AUG rifle. It is an issue knife of the Special forces of India along with National Security Guard (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG) of India.

Knives have clip point blades made of SAE 1095 carbon steel with a hardness of 55 HRC and are electrophoretic coated.The grips and sheaths are made of Glock-polymer. The Survival Knife 81 is available in the colours olive drab, battlefield green, desert sand, flat dark earth, grey, and black. The Field Knife 78 was available in desert sand, olive drab and black. The upper crossguard is bent forward to allow the knife to be used as a bayonet on the Steyr AUG rifle. It can be used as a bottle opener.

Reference from :-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Indian_Army#Knives_and_Bayonets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M9_bayonet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glock_knife