Germany allows India to procure MP5 submachine gun spares: Report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The German government has granted approval to India’s National Security Guard (NSG) to procure spares and accessories for MP5 submachine guns, reported Hindustan Times. Earlier Germany had imposed restrictions on the sale of small arms along with their spares to ‘third countries’ including India.

“A huge exception has been made for India. This shows the importance Germany attaches to its partnership with India,” one of the officials said, asking not to be named, the Hindustan Times report said.

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NSG bought its MP5s, manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch before the sale restrictions were imposed around 15 years ago. ‘Third countries’ in this context refers to all nations except European Union member states, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries and NATO-equivalent countries (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland).

The removal of restrictions for India will give the Indian military, para-military forces and state police forces another option to buy small arms, said another official. The navy’s marine commandos also use MP5s, the report added.

Some reports had earlier linked the restrictions to German concerns over the possible use of the weapons by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and human rights issues, but officials clarified that the restrictions were for all ‘third countries’.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow