Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) Expansion Plan – 2025 to 2035

Executive Summary

This document outlines a phased 10-year expansion plan to transform Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) into a modern, diversified, and self-reliant military-industrial complex. The goal is to indigenously manufacture a wide spectrum of munitions and weapon systems necessary for the Bangladesh Armed Forces, reducing import dependency and enhancing national security resilience.

Strategic Objectives

1. Achieve self-sufficiency in critical munitions and weapons systems.
2. Develop indigenous capabilities for advanced guided and unguided systems.
3. Support the expanded force structure of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force.
4. Promote regional defence exports in line with national policy.

Key Manufacturing Categories

1. Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW)

• Assault rifles (7.62mm)
• Carbines and SMGs
• General-purpose and light machine guns
• Sniper rifles and designated marksman rifles
• Pistols and revolvers
• Grenade launchers (single and automatic)
• RPG-7V2 (or equivalent) and Alcotan 100 M2 variants, plus tandem-charge warheads
• Annual Production Rate: 75,000 SALW units, 500 RPG launchers, 150 million rounds of small arms ammunition

2. Infantry Support Weapons

• 40mm LV multi-shot grenade launchers and automatic grenade launchers
• Hand grenades (fragmentation, smoke, stun)
• Rifle grenades
• Annual Production Rate: 2 million grenades, 2,000 launcher units

3. Mortar Systems and Ammunition

• 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortar tubes
• Mortar bombs (HE, illumination, smoke)
• Precision-guided mortar munitions (Phase-II)
• Annual Production Rate: 1,500 mortar tubes, 150,000 mortar bombs

4. Artillery Systems

• 105mm and 155mm towed and self-propelled gun barrels
• 105mm and 155mm HE, smoke, and cargo shells
• Base bleed and extended-range artillery shells
• Smart/artillery-launched guided munitions (Phase-III)
• Annual Production Rate: 120 gun barrels, 250,000 artillery shells

5. Armour and Tank Ammunition

• 105mm, 120mm, and 125mm APFSDS, HEAT, and HE shells
• Training and sub-calibre rounds
• Gun barrels for MBTs and light tanks
• Annual Production Rate: 100 tank barrels, 100,000 rounds

6. Heavy Rocket & Missile Systems

• 122mm, 230mm, and 300mm artillery rockets (HE, cargo, thermobaric)
• Guided rockets (TRG-230/300 standardisation)
• Anti-tank guided missiles (HJ-12 local assembly)
• Surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missiles (Phase-IV, post-2030)
• Annual Production Rate: 50,000 unguided rockets, 2,000 guided missiles

7. Air Defence Systems

• Short-range MANPADS (QW-18G)
• Ground launchers and sensor units
• Light mobile AAA barrels and systems
• Production and integration of radar-guided AA missiles (Phase-III)
• Annual Production Rate: 1,000 MANPADS, 500 AA missile systems

8. Support Systems & Components

• Electronic fuzes, programmable time-delayed fuzes
• Optical sights, fire control units, and thermal imagers
• Manufacture of collimator sights, holographic optics, and magnified day/night sights
• Collaboration with domestic/private sector optics manufacturers
• Annual Production Rate: 100,000 optical sights of various types

Infrastructure Requirements

• Two new dedicated assembly lines for artillery and missile systems
• R&D wing for ballistics, warhead engineering, and electronics
• Quality assurance centre with NATO STANAG-compliant testing rigs
• Storage and safety bunkers meeting international standards

Implementation Phases

Phase	Years	Focus Areas
I	2025–2027	Expansion of SALW, mortar, RPG, optics, and grenade production
II	2027–2030	Artillery shells, tank ammo, light guided missiles
III	2030–2033	Guided artillery, AD missiles, radar integration
IV	2033–2035	Tactical missile systems, regional exports, R&D maturity

Foreign Collaboration & Technology Transfer

• Partner countries: Türkiye, China, South Korea, Serbia, and Pakistan
• Licensing, joint ventures, and skill development modules
• Focus on reverse engineering, adaptation to local conditions

Projected Outcomes

• 60% reduction in critical arms imports by 2030
• Full domestic sufficiency in SALW, RPGs, optics, mortars, and artillery munitions by 2027
• Strategic deterrence posture with in-house missile production
• Defence export potential to Africa, Southeast Asia, Pacific nations, Nepal, and Middle East

Conclusion

The expansion of BOF is an urgent national priority to support the Armed Forces’ future operational readiness and strategic independence. The proposed plan combines phased modernisation, technology transfer, and institutional capacity building to achieve long-term sustainability.