Advanced combat equipment to bolster UP police armoury

Hindustan Times

14-06-2025

The state government has approved the purchase of new, advanced, high-power tactical and combat equipment worth nearly ₹1 crore for the UP police armoury, senior government officials said on Friday.
The list includes 20 combat shotguns, six sniper rifle suppressors, 50 Glock 33-round magazines, 100 Holographic sights for SMG, 25 GPS trackers, 10 spy cameras, 25 IP-based battery cameras and 65 BR Vests Level-III+. The move is expected to enhance the state police preparedness in tackling threats and ensuring a better internal security framework across Uttar Pradesh.
A senior home department official confirmed that the state government issued an approval order regarding the purchase of these items worth ₹99,99,148 on June 10, 2025. He said the procurement of these items will be done by the UP Special Task Force, a specialised agency in the purchase of tactical and combat equipment.
A senior STF official said the list of equipment included a combat shotgun used in military warfare and sniper rifle suppressors, which reduce the noise of a firearm by decreasing the sound pressure level and trapping and cooling expanding gases.
'Additionally, the list includes Holographic weapon sight (which) is helpful for aligning the targets with precision, speed and highest aiming accuracy. It could be addressed with both eyes open, which helps in increased peripheral vision for an unlimited eye-relief and parallax free image created with a large and bright aiming reticle pattern allowing quick target acquisition particularly in close quarter combat situations,' he explained.
'High quality Bullet Resistant (BR) Vests will be purchased to ensure safety of police personnel or its users,' he added.
The official order was issued electronically by Annavi Dinesh Kumar, special secretary, government of U.P, addressing the director general of police, Lucknow. This was in response to the proposal from U.P. Police Headquarters highlighting the need to enhance the state police's condition for dealing better with high-risk situations and organised crimes.
The funds have been granted for the first time for such purchases under the current financial year 2025-26 from the budget for machinery and equipment. The order clearly mentions that the approved amount must be utilized by March 31, 2026 and that any irregularity or audit objection during the procurement will be the responsibility of the U.P. Police headquarters and STF headquarters.
Earlier, an addition to the state police armoury was done at the end of previous financial year. Then, approval was granted for the purchase of combat shotguns, 9mm pistols, 5.56 mm rifle carbines, assault rifles, sub machine guns, pump action guns as well as advanced auxiliary gadgets, including thermal weapon sight for sniper rifles, magazines for Glock33 pistols and huge cache of ammunition for practice sessions as well as for field operations, against organized gangs and terror groups. All these weapons were worth over ₹83 crore. Eighteen different approvals for purchase of these arms, ammunition and gadgets by the state government were issued on March 29, 30, and 31.