Armoured Vehicles Discussion Thread

[RayC]

Re Ray


The issue is not that Light armoured tank is not necessary but why import are better than BMP-2/Abhay? The import which is a possibility is Russian Sprut, which (can float in water) so its armour density would be near BMP-2 (which can also float). For wheeled tanks, why DRDO Armoured vehicles cannot be used to mount light guns & missiles. Also if this requirement existed then it did not come into being on one nice day, why could the Army not commission DRDO or Pvt sector to build prototypes??

The issue to me is what is the final aim of light tanks.

I dont care who produces it so long as we need it!

The need is what I am searching!

[tsarkar]

RayC Sir – “A light tank can maneuver in the hills better than an MBT.” This is something I disagree with.

Maneuverability is a function of power-to-weight ratio and drivetrain design and NOT weight.

Engines (diesel in tanks or gas turbines in helicopters) operate less efficiently in hot and high conditions.

So if a MBT with 780 hp engine has sub par performance at high altitudes, it is assumed that a light tank with 780 hp engine will perform better because of better power to weight ratio.

Reducing weight is one way of upping this ratio – that will reduce protection. The most logical option is increasing the horsepower.

An alternate to the above logic is upgrading a few MBT’s with engines having a higher rating. Keep the bulk of your MBT’s for plains use and upgrade few ones for High Altitude use. This is cheaper than buying a new genre of light tanks.

Use an MTU883 series engine in Arjun instead of present MTU838. Both have similar dimensions. http://www.mtu-online.com/mtu/products/ ... -vehicles/

Use 6TD 1200hp engine instead of the 780 hp engine in T-72. It’s designed around the T Series.

The Al-Khalid & Chinese tanks use a 1200 hp engine exactly for this reason. Better power to weight ratio keeping hot and high operations in mind.

[alejandro_]

The Al-Khalid & Chinese tanks use a 1200 hp engine exactly for this reason. Better power to weight ratio keeping hot and high operations in mind.

No, they use it because its supplied by Ukraine, who helped in the design process and had the engine in production. 6TD is designed for T-64/80 and would need some work before it can be adapted to T-72/90.

[tsarkar]

The manufacturer says otherwise http://www.morozov.com.ua/eng/body/t72m1.php

But why did the chinese and pakistanis insist on development of 6TD-2 developing 1,200 hp when 6TD-1 developing 1,000 hp was readily available?

Anyways its off topic, point made here is the need for a compatible higher horsepower engine, irrespective of source.

[manjgu]

tsarkar...i think it is about weight and dimensions as well.. not only t/w ratio.

[Bala Vignesh]

Ok... the idea of fixing a new engine to existing chassis of MBT's is nice but will the road and the ground underneath be able to take the load??? Probably that's the reason they are going for light tank... to ensure that the weight of the vehicle doesn't cause sever damage to the roads and the ground beneath it... Just my humble opinion..

[tsarkar]

[quote]If the roads/rail infrastructure is bad, then improve them! Don’t scale the tank down!

If your kid outgrows his clothes, you buy newer clothes. You don’t chop his limbs to fit smaller clothes.[/quote]

From the previous page.

Improves overall logistics. Has the added benefit of bringing social & economic development to far flung areas.

[Bala Vignesh]

Tsarkarji, I think the question is not about laying better road... its about the ability of the soil to to hold the load placed on it... and afaik the himalayan soil cannot take that heavy load on a constant basis...

[Sanku]

Tsarkarji, I think the question is not about laying better road... its about the ability of the soil to to hold the load placed on it... and afaik the himalayan soil cannot take that heavy load on a constant basis...

There is also a question of practicality of approach 1 vs 2.

1. Do we lay 10000 KM of roads all over Arunachal because we need T 72s to move and then be "tank ready"
Or
2. Do we just get lighter tanks and in addition keep laying roads as fast as possible? T 72s can keep coming in later with better engines gradually as roads improve.

Which is more practical and do able as well as within time lines?

----

There is also a question of gun elevation flexibility in mountains too. Right?

[tsarkar]

“Himalayan soil cannot take that heavy load on a constant basis” –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakoram_Highway

Tanks have ground pressure lower than cars. Ground Pressure was the reason why the caterpillar track was invented in the first place http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_track

Areas where armour can be effectively deployed is mapped beforehand. Road network is required only up to staging areas. Thereafter field engineers assist movement of tanks. Planning includes surveying and choosing areas where to employ tanks. Use attack helicopters for direct fire where tank deployment isn’t feasible.

For elevation and crest clearance, you need SPA like Bhim, not tanks like Arjun.

[Sanku]

“Himalayan soil cannot take that heavy load on a constant basis” –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakoram_Highway

Tanks have ground pressure lower than cars. .

There is also a question of total weight right, for many small bridges etc on the way, ground pressure is not the important value. Total load is.

So for many road areas, pressure it may take, but total weight can cause parts of road to sink.

Road network is required only up to staging areas.

But even then I see the logic of having light tanks to go where full tanks cant. There will always be such roads.

And then there is concept of lighter baggage train too right (as in smaller logistical foot print per tank)

[tsarkar]

So what stops us from building stronger bridges? Point is our poor infrastructure enabled light tanks will not hold back their better infrastructure enabled heavy tanks.

Lighter baggage train - true, the light tank may consume a few liters diesel less. But will it survive infantry TOW rounds or kinetic penetrators?

I remember all these arguments made by Prem Shankar Jha in Outlook magazine against Su-30 saying its too heavy, we dont have suitable airfields, large logistic footprint, etc. Today the IAF is on a major drive to improve airfields.

[Surya]

RayC said

I dont care who produces it so long as we need it!

And thats the crux of the problem



For a low to medium tech product like this - its a joke that one needs to get it from abroad.

We cannot fight for long stretches with any leavel of independence relying on imported weapons.

The import shopping list is becoming longer with no thought to developing it locally and long term plans to build up competence

[Bala Vignesh]

So what stops us from building stronger bridges? Point is our poor infrastructure enabled light tanks will not hold back their better infrastructure enabled heavy tanks.

Lighter baggage train - true, the light tank may consume a few liters diesel less. But will it survive infantry TOW rounds or kinetic penetrators?

I remember all these arguments made by Prem Shankar Jha in Outlook magazine against Su-30 saying its too heavy, we dont have suitable airfields, large logistic footprint, etc. Today the IAF is on a major drive to improve airfields.

The soil and the geology of the location...

The fact that the IA has deployed heavier MBT in locations that can support it is proof that even they would want the heavier MBT in those places... So when they are asking for light tanks i am guessing they have checked that whether MBT's can be deployed or not and found that its not feasible and hence have asked for the light tanks..

[Patrick Cusack]

What armored columns have China has in the Tibetan area? I am presuming no MBTS based on terrain.
Does India have any mechanized column to counter in these parts?

[vishnu.nv]

A DRDO centre in Pune that is proud of its varied accomplishments is the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE). Its most visible success stories are INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles, Pinaka, the deadly multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL), and warheads for missiles and torpedoes, but it also has road maps for futuristic products such as guided rockets and precision-guided munition.

Anil M. Datar, Director (ARDE), said: “The ARDE has successfully completed the Pinaka project. It is in production now. The Army has ordered Pinaka systems worth Rs.1,300 crore for two regiments. Each regiment will have 18 launchers and associated vehicles. Pinaka is a major achievement of ours.”
Pinaka

A Pinaka MBRL, that is, a single launcher built on a Tatra truck, has two pods of six rockets each. Six launchers constitute a battery. The Army generally deploys a battery that has a total of 72 rockets. All the 72 rockets can be fired in 44 seconds, taking out an area of 1 sq km. Each launcher can fire in a different direction too. The system has the flexibility to fire all the rockets in one go or only a few.

“This is possible because we have provided a computer for fire control,” said Datar. There is a command post linking together all the six launchers in a battery. Each launcher has an individual computer, which enables it to function autonomously in case it gets separated from the other five vehicles in a war.

K.J. Daniel, Project Director, Pinaka, calls it “a system” and explains how massive each system is. A Pinaka battery has six launchers, six loader vehicles, six replenishment vehicles, two vehicles for ferrying the command post and a vehicle for carrying the meteorological radar, which will provide data on winds. “Today, we have orders for two regiments. In the future, we will have orders for 12 regiments,” said Daniel.
INSAS rifle

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Daksh, the robot developed by R&DE(E) for handling improvised explosive devices.

Developing the INSAS rifle with 5.56-mm calibre was another big achievement for the ARDE. It went into production in 1993. And about 1 million INSAS rifles have been inducted into the Army so far. In fact, INSAS is a family of arms and ammunition, comprising a rifle and a light machine gun. The firing capabilities of the weapons are enhanced by daylight telescope and night vision. With the Army keen on having more effective ammunition for a short range of 200 metres, the ARDE busied itself with designing such ammunition. The first phase of trials is complete and the second phase will begin in October.

The ARDE will soon build Pinaka rockets with a longer range of 60 km compared with the present 40 km and make them smarter too. These rockets will have a combination of inertial guidance systems and global positioning systems. Datar described such guided rockets as “something between ordinary rockets and missiles”. Missiles are expensive because they have precise guidance systems. “In the next five years, we will have guided rockets. This is a cheaper way to meet the challenge of getting at high-value targets with high accuracy. In the future, we may go for rocket systems with a 120-km range,” Datar said.

The ARDE, which produced the gun barrel for India’s main battle tank Arjun, is now coming up with a special type of ammunition called Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) with a calibre of 120 mm. The FSAPDS will also be developed for T-72 and T-90 tanks, which have guns of different calibres. The FSAPDS has already been developed for the infantry combat vehicle (ICV), which needed ammunition with a 40-mm calibre. The ARDE is now on the job of developing it with 30-mm calibre for the futuristic ICV.

The canopy severance system (CSS) for fighter aircraft in trouble is a different kettle of fish. When there is an emergency on board a jet fighter, the pilot has to eject through the canopy overhead without getting hurt. This requires breaking the canopy to make a path for the pilot. This is called CSS and the clean-cut is achieved by power cartridges that function with precise timings and pressure. Since the IAF has aircraft acquired from Russia, France and the United Kingdom, the ARDE developed indigenous power cartridges for them so that the IAF will not be dependent on these aircraft manufacturers for cartridges. The ARDE has developed 62 types of power cartridges, matching the performance of the original cartridges. “This is a service that the IAF acknowledges,” said ARDE officials.
Warheads & anti-tank ammunition

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Anil M.Datar, Director, ARDE.

Developing warheads for missiles and torpedoes is an area of core competence of the centre. All missiles – Agni, Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag – developed by the DRDO have warheads made by the ARDE. It is working on futuristic warheads, such as aimable warheads or those with fragment generators. It recently developed a 450-kg high-speed, low-drag bomb, which was a complete indigenisation of the Russian variety and with added lethality.

The ARDE personnel are happy that the Army has placed orders for an innovative anti-tank ammunition developed by them. It gets initiated only when a battle tank passes over it, and not a truck or a car. Its sense of discrimination is based on seismic and magnetic sensors. Datar explained: “We have collected signatures of different kinds of vehicles, what kind of vibrations they create when they move. The data is fed into the munition’s system. When a tank is moving, it will provide a signature. The processor tries to match it with the stored signatures. If it matches, it gives a signal and the munition explodes.”

An important area where the ARDE will focus on is precision-guided munition. It will develop guided artillery shells or gun-fired ammunition. The first of such precision-guided munition will be cannon-launched.

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/2 ... 110900.htm

[Sanku]

So what stops us from building stronger bridges? Point is our poor infrastructure enabled light tanks will not hold back their better infrastructure enabled heavy tanks..

Sure lets build stronger bridges too. Meanwhile lets get the light tanks too.

Knowing India I think realistically the chances of getting light tanks is higher and the troops will have something.

Waiting for infrastructure development to be done before we do the right thing is waiting for Godot (that's my understanding of India)

[RayC]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

The Chinese have no problem in having MBTs on the Tibetan Plateau since they have no hills to climb.

[srai]

...
Lighter baggage train - true, the light tank may consume a few liters diesel less. But will it survive infantry TOW rounds or kinetic penetrators?

...

IMO, the same can be asked of MBTs versus modern infantry anti-tank weapons. In a hilly terrain, the weak armor sides, such at the top, of the tanks are exposed.

[Gaur]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

The Chinese have no problem in having MBTs on the Tibetan Plateau since they have no hills to climb.

True, light tanks would have a hard time in Tibetan Plateau. But could it be that IA plans to use light tanks only defensively in our mountains. And any offensive role would be limited to aksai chin region? Is that feasible or would it be too much wasting of money for mainly defensive posturing and limit offense?

[Dmurphy]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

Then we call the UN and stop fighting

[Bala Vignesh]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

The Chinese have no problem in having MBTs on the Tibetan Plateau since they have no hills to climb.

My guess is that the light tanks would never reach them... they'll be used only on defensive lines... not in the offensives... And with anti tank missiles they could probably take out the chinese MBT's even before they get into their gun range, in the plains... JMHO..

[RayC]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

The Chinese have no problem in having MBTs on the Tibetan Plateau since they have no hills to climb.

My guess is that the light tanks would never reach them... they'll be used only on defensive lines... not in the offensives... And with anti tank missiles they could probably take out the chinese MBT's even before they get into their gun range, in the plains... JMHO..

As I see it, if our MBTs cannot reach the Tibetan Plateau, then the Chinese MBTs likewise cannot come down to the Plains of Assam.

In Ladakh, MBTs can operate with recce.

[mahan]

“while we just found out that India also wants to participate in the next phase of the program.”

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... ith%20JLTV
India interested in JLTV?

[KrishG]

“while we just found out that India also wants to participate in the next phase of the program.”

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... ith%20JLTV
India interested in JLTV?

Well, what about the LSV competation then ?? Why does the IA love foreign maal so much ?? Indian Pvt players is the right way to go for IA.

[Bala Vignesh]

Well, what about the LSV competation then ?? Why does the IA love foreign maal so much ?? Indian Pvt players is the right way to go for IA.

True... its probably better to develop things like this in house rather than buy them.... Sure as hell helps the economy..

[skher]

No one has answered my query that if the light tanks reach the Tibetan Plateau then what happens?

The Chinese have no problem in having MBTs on the Tibetan Plateau since they have no hills to climb.

Would mounting of super heavy guided mortars and deployment of armed air&ground drones justify using light tanks?

Perhaps only an engineering marvel which makes defending armor against any kind of projectile cheap & effective ('using a bullet to shoot a bullet'), would make such deployment feasible.

Realistically speaking, light tank seems to be similar to IA's defensive turretless tank concept.

JMHO

[Rupak]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR LIGHT TANKS WHEELED AND
TRACKED FOR INDIAN ARMY
1. The Indian Army is in the process of acquiring light tanks for use in semi
mountainous and mountainous regions in the North and North East, developed and
semi developed terrain in the Western borders and in the island territories.
2. The requirement is of approximately 200 light tanks (wheeled) and
approximately 100 light tanks (tracked). The information may please be provided in
detail in reply to the Request for Information:-
(a) Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) status of the equipment.
(b) Names of the firms, if any, that have been authorised by the OEM to
deal with the Indian MoD.
(c) Level of technology that the firm would be willing to transfer to a firm
that will be nominated by Indian MoD.
(d) Any other relevant inputs.
3. Two questionnaires giving specific inputs for the light tank wheeled and
tracked are given in Appendix A and B respectively. A Performa to be filled by the
vendors is attached as Appendix C.
4. The vendors are requested to respond to the RFI by 30 October at the
address given below:-
Director General of Weapons and Equipment (WE-8/9),
General Staff Branch,
Room No 208G, South Block,
IHQ of MoD (Army)
DHQ PO, New Delhi -110011
5. Inputs can be provided by Fax on No 0091-11-23793274 and by email ID:
we_dte@yahoo.com.
Appendix A
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LIGHT TANK (WHEELED) FOR INDIAN ARMY
Roles and Tasks
Q1. Is the Light tank capable of undertaking battlefield reconnaissance and
surveillance in the desert, semi-developed and developed terrain?
Q2. Is the light tank capable of being deployed as part of a mechanized force in
High Altitude Area (above 3000 m) as also in mountainous / semi mountainous
terrain?
Operational and Technical Design Features
Q3. Does the light tank enjoy a high level of protection against anti-tank and antipersonnel
mines?
Q4. Does the light tank have active / tuneable (add on) armour protection?
Q5. Is the light tank capable of deployment in peacekeeping operations as well as
high intensity conflicts with suitable variants to meet different roles?
Q6. Does the light tank have multi-role weapon systems, to include gun and
missile system, surveillance and communication capability, high manoeuvrability and
amphibious capability as the standard design features?
Q7. Does the light tank have the capability to operate in urban environment?
Q8. Is the design of light tank based on modular structure to give more flexibility
for multipurpose operation?
Essential Physical And Operational Characteristics
Q9. Does the light tank have a low silhouette?
Q10. Does the design of the light tank incorporate stealth technology and ensure
low thermal, acoustic, magnetic and IR signals and are all the systems so designed
and located so as to enhance its survivability on the future battlefield?
Q11. Is the light tank amphibious without using any floatation aids?
2
Q12. Is the light tank capable of all weather day and night operation and are the
tank systems fully integrated to achieve the same?
Q13. What is the maximum weight of the tank? If the weight of the tank is more
than 22 Tons, is the tank capable of undertaking the roles and tasks and meeting the
design parameters and characteristics as highlighted above?
Q14. What is the in-service life of the light tank?
Essential Parameters
Q15. What is the power to weight ratio of the light tank? Does the light tank have
good acceleration, agility and mobility over varied type of terrain?
Q16. Does the light tank have individual self recovery capability on land and for
exiting from water obstacle?
Q17. Does the light tank have a safe free board and adequate amphibious
capability for crossing of water obstacles like unlined canals, rivers and stretches of
sea?
Q18. Does the light tank incorporate low velocity main gun? What is the calibre of
the gun?
Q19. Is the light tank capable of firing an ATGM/third generation ATGM having lock
on before launch facility (utilizing HEAT as well as thermo baric war heads)?
Q20. Does the light tank incorporate cannon, MGs, digital fully integrated fire
control system with state of the art sensors and all weather surveillance devices?
Q21. Is the light tank capable of:-
(a) Engaging MBTs at ranges exceeding the MBTs direct firing capabilities
with an ATGM in all weather and light conditions?
(b) Destroying bunkers and soft skin vehicles at ranges up to 3000m firing
weapon / ATGM having thermo basic warheads?
(c) Deterrence by fire against attack helicopters and low flying fixed wing
aircrafts?
3
Q22. Does the light tank have adequate protection to withstand the increased
lethality of the battlefield?
Q23. Does the light tank have active / reactive armour and Active Protection
System?
Q24. Does the light tank incorporate state of the art composite armour to reduce
weight while enhancing protection? Is the distribution of armour such that it ensures
optimum utilization of protection levels?
Q25. How many crew members does the light tank have?
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Automotive
Q26. What is the configuration of the light tank, ie, 8 x 8 or 6 x 6 or 4 x 4 (preferably
8 x ?
Q27. What is the maximum weight of the tank (preferably should not exceed 22
Tons)?
Q28. What is the max height of the tank including vision devices (preferably should
not exceed 2.8 meters)?
Q29. What is the maximum length of the tank (preferably should not exceed 7.8
metres)?
Q30. What is the maximum width of the light tank? What is the outer width of the
tank at the tyres and width (space) between the inner edges of the two tyres?
Q31. What is the ground clearance of the light tank?
4
Q32. Is the light tank powered with a robust high performance diesel engine? What
is the power rating of the engine?
Q33. What is the life of the tank engine in terms of hours?
Q34. What is the power to weight ration of the tank?
Q35. What is the maximum on road speed of the light tank?
Q36. What is the maximum cross country speed of the tank?
Q37. What is the speed afloat in terms of knots?
Q38. What is the afloat endurance of the light tank in terms of hours?
Q39. What is the obstacle crossing capability of the light tank:-
(a) Maximum gradient (entry)?
(b) Maximum gradient (exit)?
(c) Maximum side slope?
(d) Maximum vertical step?
(e) Maximum trench crossing width?
Q40. What is the cruising range of the tank without external fuel tanks on road and
cross country?
Q41. Does the light tank incorporate automatic transmission and all wheel drive
along with capability for 8 x 6 or 8 x 4 drive? Is there provision of locking inter axle
and inter wheel differentials?
Q42. In the steering power assisted? Does it also have a back up manual steering,
should the power assisted steering fail?
Q43. Is there a Central type Inflation System (CTIS) incorporated?
5
Q44. What is the capability of the tank to run on flat tyres? For what distance?
Q45. What is the type of suspension which has been incorporated in the light tank?
Q46. What is the turning circle radius / turning circle diameter of the tank?
Q47. What is the braking system of the tank and does it have following features :-
(a) Efficient brake system with disc type or state of the art system on each
of the eight wheels?
(b) Can it hold the light tank on 30 degree gradient?
(c) Does the brake system function even if engine is switched off?
(d) Is the parting brake system capable of holding the light tank on a slope
of 30 degree?
Q48. Does the light tank incorporate an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to facilitate
silent watch requirement of FCS, active protection system, environmental control
and other electrical / electronic devices when main engine is switched off? If yes,
what are the specifications of the APU?
Q49. Does the light tank has facility for cold starting? Is there a facility of Preheater
or equivalent available to facilitate the starting at high altitude and low temperatures?
Armament
Q50. Is the main gun rifled or smooth bore?
Q51. What ammunition is the main gun capable of firing?
Q52. What is the maximum effective range for aimed fire for the following
ammunition:-
(a) APFSDS
(b) Missile.
(c) HEAT
(d) HE Fragmentation.
Q53. What is the penetration of the APFSDS projectile in Rolled Homogenous
Armour (RHA) at 2000 m?
6
Q54. What is the First Round Hit Probability (FRHP) with APFSDS ammunition on
a 1 mil target by day and night when:-
(a) Both, the tank and the target are stationary?
(b) When the tank is moving at 25 kmph and the target is stationary.
Q55. Is the light tank provided with an automatic loading system which can
facilitate a high rate of fire of 8-10 rounds per minute? If so, what type is it (bustle /
carousel) and how many rounds are there in the autoloader bin as ready rounds?
Q56. How much main gun ammunition (including missiles) does the light tank carry/
stow?
Q57. What is the barrel life of the main gun in terms of Equivalent Full Charge
(EFC)?
Q58. ATGM.
(a) Does the tank fire a state of the art fire and forget missile?
(b) Is it cannon launched and integrated with the auto loader system?
(c) Does it have a tandem warhead and what is its penetration to defeat a
combination of ERA panels and RHA ?
(d) What is the minimum and maximum range of the missile and its
guidance system?
(e) What is the FRHP of the missile by day and night on a 1 mil target with
(i) Both tank and target stationary?
(ii) The tank is stationary and the target is moving at 25 kmph?
Q59. Secondary Armament.
(a) MMG. What is the calibre of the secondary coaxially mounted
MMG? What is its range and what ammunition can it fire? How much
ammunition does it stow?
(b) AAMG.
(i) What is the calibre of the AAMG? What is its range and what
ammunition can it?
(ii) Is it capable of being remotely operated by the tank commander
while closed down?
(iii) Is it stabilised in the vertical and the horizontal planes?
(iv) How much ammunition does it stow?
7
(c) Grenade Dischargers.
(i) How many tubes of grenade dischargers are there on the light
tank?
(ii) What types of ammunition does it fire (preferably aerosol type
smoke tube launched also firing HE fragmentation anti personal
grenades and anti thermal smoke)?
(iii) What is the time that the smoke is effective what is the size of
the smoke screen and at what distance is it formed?
(iv) What is the range of the anti personal grenades? What is each
grenade’s killing area?
Q60. Gun Control Equipment (GCE). Is the GCE solid state, brushless all electric
drive? Is it designed for the following:-
(a) Encompass firing all weapon system of the light tank including missile
system.
(b) Capability of firing on the move at the maximum utilizable crosscountry
speed.
(c) Adequate traversing speed to cater for a 360 degree traverse in 14
second or less.
(d) Capability for fine laying with power traverse and elevation controls
while on the move and stationary.
(e) Override facilities for the tank commander for traverse and elevation
when operating on power control.
(f) What is the mean error of stabilisation of weapon systems at vehicle
speed of 25 to 35 kmph (preferably not be more than 1 mil in elevation and/or
azimuth).
(g) Provision of manual backup.
Q61. Fire Control System (FCS). Does the computerised FCS allow the
gunner and commander to lay and fire the weapon systems while the light tank is
stationary or moving under day and night conditions? Does it comprise of all the
relevant sensors including automatic target tracker and multichannel sighting system
for the ATGM?
8
Q62. Vision / Surveillance Devices.
(a) Driver Sight.
(i) What is the field of view of the day periscopes?
(ii) What is the night vision device for the driver? What is its range?
(b) Gunner Sight.
(i) Is the gunner sight integrated with the FCS and capable of firing
all weapons during move by day and night?
(ii) Does it have day periscopes for panoramic view?
(iii) Does it have a third generation stabilised integrated TI sight or
state of the art TI? What are the detection, recognition and
identification ranges for the TI sight?
(iv) Does it have provision for recording and playback of battle field
view? Up to how long and with how much memory?
(c) Commander Sight.
(i) Does it have periscopes for 360-degree field of view during day?
(ii) Does it have a third generation stabilised panoramic day cum TI
sight or state of the art night sight with ranges similar to gunner’s
sight?
(iii) Does it have independent tracking and firing through gunner
over ride facility.
(iv) Does it have automatic sector scanning and automatic target
cueing for gunner’s sight without need for verbal communication?
(v) Does it have facility of gunner sight picture to be viewed by
commander?
9
(d) Automatic Target Tracker.
(i) Does it have a computer based system to track the target
automatically without man-in-the-loop / without human assistance?
(ii) Does it display day and night video image as viewed by the
sight.
(iii) Does it maintain line of sight on target.
(e) Laser Range Finder. Does it have Laser Range Finder with eye
safe Laser? What is its maximum and minimum range?
Protection
Q63. Armour Protection.
(a) What is the level of armour protection provided against 25mm AP
cannon and against hand held anti tank weapons in the frontal arc?
(b) What is the level of protection against 7.62mm AP from all directions?
(c) What is the level of protection against medium artillery splinters?
(d) Does the hull bottom should provide protection against anti-personnel
mines including fragmentation type? Are there mine counter measures
incorporated to initiate influence mines electronically?
(e) Is the hull thickness capable of mounting strap on ERA panels and
strap on/bolt on appliqué armour to increase protection in selected area?
(f) Are spall liners and roof fragmentation protector provided?
(g) What is the top attack protection against bomblets and shrapnel?
10
Q64. Defensive Aid Suite (DAS).
(a) Is the light tank provided with a defensive aid suit to protect against all
Laser/Thermal/Radar guided munitions?
(b) Does the defensive aid suit have a hard kill & soft kill system with all
round sensor & surveillance capability?
(c) Is the light tank provided with an Active Protection System that would
automatically detect, prioritise, counter and intercept incoming missiles, RPGs
and chemical energy projectiles directed towards the light tank including top
attack ammunition and homing artillery?
Q65. Passive Protection.
(a) Are the acoustic, visual, thermal, magnetic, radar and infrared
signatures of the light tank minimised to avoid detection from visual and
electronic surveillance devices?
(b) Is the light tank painted with anti laser and anti thermal paints.
Q66. NBC Protection.
(a) Is the crew and inner equipment of the light tank protected against the
effects of NBC contamination and EMP?
(b) Is each light tank equipped with portable de-contamination dispensers?
(c) Is the automatic NBC detection apparatus provided with capability to
seal the light tank and operate the NBC protection system to include chemical
agent and bacteriological sensors?
Q67. Instant Fire Detection and Suppression System (IFDSS).
(a) Does the light tank incorporate a modern IFDSS?
(b) What is the response time of the IFDSS?
(c) What is the time in which it extinguishes fire in the crew compartment
and in the engine compartment?
(d) What gas is used in the fire extinguishers (preferably non ozone layer
depleting gas)?
11
Q68. Ammunition Storage. Is the ammunition stored in containerised
compartments with blow out panels to ensure protection to crew from accidental
fire/explosion?
Miscellaneous
Q69. Radio Communication. What is the communications equipment fitted on
the light tank? Is external telephone facility provided to communicate with crew from
outside? Are the gunner and driver able to listen to the communication being carried
out by the commander on the radio set?
Q70. Navigation System. Does the light tank have the capability to
incorporate INS and satellite based navigation system with alternate mode of
navigation which provides accuracy of up to 1% of distance travelled?
Q71. Ergonomics and Crew Comfort. Does the ergonomics of the light
tank cater to facilitate 72 hours continuous operations by crew under operational
conditions? Are the following additional features incorporated: -
(a) Height adjustable, cushioned seats with shock dampeners, headrest
and seat belts.
(b) Suitable storage for rations and electrical arrangements for food
warming and water heating for crew.
(c) First aid kit.
(d) Cooling arrangements for 50 litres of water.
(e) Over hung suspended seats.
(f) A minimum of 1.1 cubic meters space per crew member.
Q72. Environmental Control Unit / Air Conditioner and APU.
(a) Is the light tank provided with an air conditioner for critical equipment
and crew? Are AC ducts provided to keep crew members and critical
equipment at the requisite temperatures?
(b) Is the AC capable operating in a temperature range of up to + 55ºC?
12
(c) Is the AC capable of maintaining the temperature in the crew
compartment of the tank to 28±5ºC when working in an ambient temperature
of +45ºC in crew closed down mode?
(d) Is the AC housed inside the tank and does it draw power from the
engine/APU?
(e) Is APU provided to operate the environmental control and various
electrical and electronic systems including gun control sub systems when the
engine is not running.
(f) Does the light tank have a facility to provide inside temperature of
28±5ºC even if the outside temperatures are low? Does the environmental
control incorporate a heater also?
Q73. Battle Field Management System (BMS). Does the light tank have
provision to adapt the Network Centric Battle Field Management System being
developed for the Army?
Q74. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF). Does the light tank have provision to
adapt state of the art IFF?
Q75. Stowage Facility. Does the stowage facility provided in the light tank cater
for the following: -
(a) Personal weapons of crew.
(b) Personal equipment of crew.
(c) Camouflage net.
(d) Tarpaulin/shelter.
(e) Other tools and accessories.
(f) 100 litres of water under armour and 300 litres of water outside.
13
Operation and Maintenance
Q76. Bore Sighting. Is a bore sight testing equipment provided which is easy
and simple to handle?
Q77. Built in Test Equipment (BITE) and Hardware Test Facility. Is it
possible to carry out complete functional checks of the complete equipment without
the aid of any external test equipment and with the assistance of suitable indication
devices for display of failure of the hardware of each sub assembly?
Q78. Design. Are the systems designs modular to the extent possible, with
easy accessibility to ensure quick replacement of faulty modules/sub assemblies?
Are all marking on the sight including graticules in English language? Is the design
based on modular chassis to allow configuration from tracked to wheeled chassis for
theatre specific requirement?
Q79. In Situ Repair. Is the procedure for replacement of assemblies/ modules
simple and does it require minimum amount of re-alignment.
Q80. Field/Component Repair. Are all facilities in terms of spares and
SMTs/STEs required for carrying out component level repairs to the complete
system provided in matching time fame along with the main equipment?
Q81. Specifications. Do all electronic components conform to ‘Mil GRADE’
specifications?
Appendix B
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LIGHT TANK (TRACKED) FOR INDIAN ARMY
Roles and Tasks
Q1. Is the Light tank capable of undertaking battlefield reconnaissance and
surveillance in the desert, semi-developed and developed terrain?
Q2. Is the light tank capable of being deployed as part of a mechanized force in
High Altitude Area (above 3000 m) as also in mountainous / semi mountainous
terrain?
Operational and Technical Design Features
Q3. Does the light tank enjoy a high level of protection against anti-tank and antipersonnel
mines?
Q4. Does the light tank have active / tuneable (add on) armour protection?
Q5. Is the light tank capable of deployment in peacekeeping operations as well as
high intensity conflicts with suitable variants to meet different roles?
Q6. Does the light tank have multi-role weapon systems, to include gun and
missile system, surveillance and communication capability, high manoeuvrability and
amphibious capability as the standard design features?
Q7. Does the light tank have the capability to operate in urban environment?
Q8. Is the design of light tank based on modular structure to give more flexibility
for multipurpose operation?
Essential Physical And Operational Characteristics
Q9. Does the light tank have a low silhouette?
Q10. Does the design of the light tank incorporate stealth technology and ensure
low thermal, acoustic, magnetic and IR signals and are all the systems so designed
and located so as to enhance its survivability on the future battlefield?
Q11. Is the light tank amphibious without using any floatation aids?
2
Q12. Is the light tank capable of all weather day and night operation and are the
tank systems fully integrated to achieve the same?
Q13. What is the maximum weight of the tank? If the weight of the tank is more
than 22 Tons, is the tank capable of undertaking the roles and tasks and meeting the
design parameters and characteristics as highlighted above?
Q14. What is the in-service life of the light tank?
Essential Parameters
Q15. What is the power to weight ration of the light tank?
Q16. Does the light tank have good acceleration, agility and mobility over varied
type of terrain?
Q17. Does the light tank have individual self recovery capability on land and for
exiting from water obstacle?
Q18. Does the light tank have a safe free board and adequate amphibious
capability for crossing of water obstacles like unlined canals, rivers and stretches of
sea?
Q19. Does the light tank incorporate low pressure main gun? What is the calibre of
the gun?
Q20. Is the light tank capable of firing an ATGM/third generation ATGM having lock
on before launch facility (utilizing HEAT as well as thermo baric war heads)?
Q21. Does the light tank incorporate cannon, MGs, digital fully integrated fire
control system with state of the art sensors and all weather surveillance devices?
Q22. Is the light tank capable of:-
(a) Engaging MBTs at ranges exceeding the MBTs direct firing capabilities
with an ATGM in all weather and light conditions?
(b) Destroying bunkers and soft skin vehicles at ranges up to 3000m firing
weapon / ATGM having thermo basic warheads?
3
(c) Deterrence by fire against attack helicopters and low flying fixed wing
aircrafts?
Q23. Does the light tank have adequate protection to withstand the increased
lethality of the battlefield?
Q24. Does the light tank have active / reactive armour and Active Protection
System?
Q25. Does the light tank incorporate state of the art composite armour to reduce
weight while enhancing protection? Is the distribution of armour such that it ensures
optimum utilization of protection levels?
Q26. How many crew members does the light tank have?
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Automotive
Q27. What is the maximum weight of the tank (preferably should not exceed 22
Tons)?
Q28. What is the max height of the tank including vision devices (preferably should
not exceed 2.8 meters)?
Q29. What is the maximum length of the tank (preferably should not exceed 7.8
metres)?
Q30. What is the maximum width of the light tank? What is the outer width of the
tank at the tracks and width (space) between the inner edges of the two tracks?
What is the track width of the light tank?
Q31. What is the ground clearance of the light tank?
Q32. Is the light tank powered with a robust high performance diesel engine? What
is the power rating of the engine?
Q33. What is the life of the tank engine in terms of hours?
Q34. What is the power to weight ration of the tank?
4
Q35. What is the maximum on road speed of the light tank?
Q36. What is the maximum cross country speed of the tank?
Q37. What is the speed afloat in terms of knots?
Q38. What is the afloat endurance of the light tank in terms of hours?
Q39. What is the obstacle crossing capability of the light tank:-
(a) Maximum gradient (entry)?
(b) Maximum gradient (exit)?
(c) Maximum side slope?
(f) Maximum vertical step?
(g) Maximum trench crossing width?
Q40. What is the cruising range of the tank without external fuel tanks on road and
cross country?
Q41. What is the type of suspension which has been incorporated in the light tank?
Q42. What is the braking system of the tank and does it have following features:-
(a) Can it hold the light tank on 30 degree gradient?
(d) Does the brake system function even if engine is switched off?
(c) Is the parting brake system capable of holding the light tank on a slope
of 30 degree?
Q43. Does the light tank incorporate an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to facilitate
silent watch requirement of FCS, active protection system, environmental control
and other electrical / electronic devices when main engine is switched off? If yes,
what are the specifications of the APU?
Q44. Does the light tank has facility for cold starting? Is there a facility of Preheater
or equivalent available to facilitate the starting at high altitude and low temperatures?
5
Armament
Q45. Is the main gun rifled or smooth bore?
Q46. What ammunition is the main gun capable of firing?
Q47. What is the maximum effective range for aimed fire for the following
ammunition:-
(e) APFSDS
(f) Missile.
(g) HEAT
(h) HE Fragmentation.
Q48. What is the penetration of the APFSDS projectile in Rolled Homogenous
Armour (RHA) at 2000 m?
Q49. What is the First Round Hit Probability (FRHP) with APFSDS ammunition on
a 1 mil target by day and night when:-
(a) Both, the tank and the target are stationary?
(b) When the tank is moving at 25 kmph and the target is stationary.
Q50. Is the light tank provided with an automatic loading system which can
facilitate a high rate of fire of 8-10 rounds per minute? If so, what type is it (bustle /
carousel) and how many rounds are there in the autoloader bin as ready rounds?
Q51. How much main gun ammunition (including missiles) does the light tank carry/
stow?
Q52. What is the barrel life of the main gun in terms of Equivalent Full Charge
(EFC)?
6
Q53. ATGM.
(d) Does the tank fire a state of the art fire and forget missile?
(e) Is it cannon launched and integrated with the auto loader system?
(f) Does it have a tandem warhead and what is its penetration to defeat a
combination of ERA panels and RHA ?
(d) What is the minimum and maximum range of the missile and its
guidance system?
(e) What is the FRHP of the missile by day and night on a 1 mil target with
(i) Both tank and target stationary?
(ii) The tank is stationary and the target is moving at 25 kmph?
Q54. Secondary Armament.
(a) MMG. What is the calibre of the secondary coaxially mounted
MMG? What is its range and what ammunition can it fire? How much
ammunition does it stow?
(b) AAMG.
(i) What is the calibre of the AAMG? What is its range and what
ammunition can it?
(ii) Is it capable of being remotely operated by the tank commander
while closed down?
(v) Is it stabilised in the vertical and the horizontal planes?
(vi) How much ammunition does it stow?
(c) Grenade Dischargers.
(i) How many tubes of grenade dischargers are there on the light
tank?
(ii) What types of ammunition does it fire (preferably aerosol type
smoke tube launched also firing HE fragmentation anti personal
grenades and anti thermal smoke)?
(iii) What is the time that the smoke is effective what is the size of
the smoke screen and at what distance is it formed?
(iv) What is the range of the anti personal grenades? What is each
grenade’s killing area?
7
Q55. Gun Control Equipment (GCE). Is the GCE solid state, brushless all electric
drive? Is it designed for the following:-
(a) Encompass firing all weapon system of the light tank including missile
system.
(b) Capability of firing on the move at the maximum utilizable crosscountry
speed.
(c) Adequate traversing speed to cater for a 360 degree traverse in 14
second or less.
(d) Capability for fine laying with power traverse and elevation controls
while on the move and stationary.
(e) Override facilities for the tank commander for traverse and elevation
when operating on power control.
(f) What is the mean error of stabilisation of weapon systems at vehicle
speed of 25 to 35 kmph (preferably not be more than 1 mil in elevation and/or
azimuth).
(g) Provision of manual backup.
Q56. Fire Control System (FCS). Does the computerised FCS allow the
gunner and commander to lay and fire the weapon systems while the light tank is
stationary or moving under day and night conditions? Does it comprise of all the
relevant sensors including automatic target tracker and multichannel sighting system
for the ATGM?
Q57. Vision / Surveillance Devices.
(a) Driver Sight.
(i) What is the field of view of the day periscopes?
(ii) What is the night vision device for the driver? What is its range?
(b) Gunner Sight.
(i) Is the gunner sight integrated with the FCS and capable of firing
all weapons during move by day and night?
8
(ii) Does it have day periscopes for panoramic view?
(iii) Does it have a third generation stabilised integrated TI sight or
state of the art TI? What are the detection, recognition and
identification ranges for the TI sight?
(iv) Does it have provision for recording and playback of battle field
view? Up to how long and with how much memory?
(c) Commander Sight.
(i) Does it have periscopes for 360-degree field of view during day?
(v) Does it have a third generation stabilised panoramic day cum TI
sight or state of the art night sight with ranges similar to gunner’s
sight?
(vi) Does it have independent tracking and firing through gunner
over ride facility.
(vii) Does it have automatic sector scanning and automatic target
cueing for gunner’s sight without need for verbal communication?
(v) Does it have facility of gunner sight picture to be viewed by
commander?
(d) Automatic Target Tracker.
(i) Does it have a computer based system to track the target
automatically without man-in-the-loop / without human assistance?
(iv) Does it display day and night video image as viewed by the
sight.
(v) Does it maintain line of sight on target.
(e) Laser Range Finder. Does it have Laser Range Finder with eye
safe Laser? What is its maximum and minimum range?
9
Protection
Q58. Armour Protection.
(a) What is the level of armour protection provided against 25mm AP
cannon and against hand held anti tank weapons in the frontal arc?
(b) What is the level of protection against 7.62mm AP from all directions?
(c) What is the level of protection against medium artillery splinters?
(d) Does the hull bottom should provide protection against anti-personnel
mines including fragmentation type? Are there mine counter measures
incorporated to initiate influence mines electronically?
(e) Is the hull thickness capable of mounting strap on ERA panels and
strap on/bolt on appliqué armour to increase protection in selected area?
(f) Are spall liners and roof fragmentation protector provided?
(g) What is the top attack protection against bomblets and shrapnel?
Q59. Defensive Aid Suite (DAS).
(a) Is the light tank provided with a defensive aid suit to protect against all
Laser/Thermal/Radar guided munitions?
(b) Does the defensive aid suit have a hard kill & soft kill system with all
round sensor & surveillance capability?
(c) Is the light tank provided with an Active Protection System that would
automatically detect, prioritise, counter and intercept incoming missiles, RPGs
and chemical energy projectiles directed towards the light tank including top
attack ammunition and homing artillery?
Q60. Passive Protection.
(a) Are the acoustic, visual, thermal, magnetic, radar and infrared
signatures of the light tank minimised to avoid detection from visual and
electronic surveillance devices?
(b) Is the light tank painted with anti laser and anti thermal paints.
10
Q61. NBC Protection.
(a) Is the crew and inner equipment of the light tank protected against the
effects of NBC contamination and EMP?
(b) Is each light tank equipped with portable de-contamination dispensers?
(c) Is the automatic NBC detection apparatus provided with capability to
seal the light tank and operate the NBC protection system to include chemical
agent and bacteriological sensors?
Q62. Instant Fire Detection and Suppression System (IFDSS).
(a) Does the light tank incorporate a modern IFDSS?
(b) What is the response time of the IFDSS?
(c) What is the time in which it extinguishes fire in the crew compartment
and in the engine compartment?
(d) What gas is used in the fire extinguishers (preferably non ozone layer
depleting gas)?
Q63. Ammunition Storage. Is the ammunition stored in containerised
compartments with blow out panels to ensure protection to crew from accidental
fire/explosion?
Miscellaneous
Q64. Radio Communication. What is the communications equipment fitted on
the light tank? Is external telephone facility provided to communicate with crew from
outside? Are the gunner and driver able to listen to the communication being carried
out by the commander on the radio set?
Q65. Navigation System. Does the light tank have the capability to
incorporate INS and satellite based navigation system with alternate mode of
navigation which provides accuracy of up to 1% of distance travelled?
11
Q66. Ergonomics and Crew Comfort. Does the ergonomics of the light
tank cater to facilitate 72 hours continuous operations by crew under operational
conditions? Are the following additional features incorporated: -
(e) Height adjustable, cushioned seats with shock dampeners, headrest
and seat belts.
(f) Suitable storage for rations and electrical arrangements for food
warming and water heating for crew.
(g) First aid kit.
(h) Cooling arrangements for 50 litres of water.
(e) Over hung suspended seats.
(f) A minimum of 1.1 cubic meters space per crew member.
Q67. Environmental Control Unit / Air Conditioner and APU.
(a) Is the light tank provided with an air conditioner for critical equipment
and crew? Are AC ducts provided to keep crew members and critical
equipment at the requisite temperatures?
(b) Is the AC capable operating in a temperature range of up to + 55ºC?
(c) Is the AC capable of maintaining the temperature in the crew
compartment of the tank to 28±5ºC when working in an ambient temperature
of +45ºC in crew closed down mode?
(d) Is the AC housed inside the tank and does it draw power from the
engine/APU?
(e) Is APU provided to operate the environmental control and various
electrical and electronic systems including gun control sub systems when the
engine is not running.
(f) Does the light tank have a facility to provide inside temperature of
28±5ºC even if the outside temperatures are low? Does the environmental
control incorporate a heater also?
Q68. Battle Field Management System (BMS). Does the light tank have
provision to adapt the Network Centric Battle Field Management System being
developed for the Army?
12
Q69. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF). Does the light tank have provision to
adapt state of the art IFF?
Q70. Stowage Facility. Does the stowage facility provided in the light tank cater
for the following: -
(f) Personal weapons of crew.
(g) Personal equipment of crew.
(h) Camouflage net.
(i) Tarpaulin/shelter.
(j) Other tools and accessories.
(f) 100 litres of water under armour and 300 litres of water outside.
Operation and Maintenance
Q71. Bore Sighting. Is a bore sight testing equipment provided which is easy
and simple to handle?
Q72. Built in Test Equipment (BITE) and Hardware Test Facility. Is it
possible to carry out complete functional checks of the complete equipment without
the aid of any external test equipment and with the assistance of suitable indication
devices for display of failure of the hardware of each sub assembly?
Q73. Design. Are the systems designs modular to the extent possible, with
easy accessibility to ensure quick replacement of faulty modules/sub assemblies?
Are all marking on the sight including graticules in English language? Is the design
based on modular chassis to allow configuration from tracked to wheeled chassis for
theatre specific requirement?
Q74. In Situ Repair. Is the procedure for replacement of assemblies/ modules
simple and does it require minimum amount of re-alignment.
Q75. Field/Component Repair. Are all facilities in terms of spares and
SMTs/STEs required for carrying out component level repairs to the complete
system provided in matching time fame along with the main equipment?
Q76. Specifications. Do all electronic components conform to ‘Mil GRADE’
specifications?
Appendix C
INFORMATION PERFORMA
(FOREIGN VENDORS)
1. Name of the Vendor/Company/Firm
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
(Company profile, in brief, to be attached)
2. Type (Tick the relevant category)
Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) Yes/No
Government sponsored Export Agency Yes/No (Details of
registration to provided)
Authorised Representatives of OEM Yes/No (Attach details)
Other (give specific details)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. Contact Details.
Postal Address: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
City ______________________ Province : _________________________
Country __________________ Pin/Zip Code : ______________________
Tele : ___________________ Fax _______________________________
URL/Web Site : _________________________________________________
4. Local Branch/Liaison office/Authorised Representatives, in Delhi
(if any).
Name & Address : ______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
City : ______________________ Province : ____________________
Pin Code _____________ Tele ______________ Fax ______________
2
5. Financial Details.
(a) Annual turn over : _____________________ USD.
(b) Number of employees in firm : _____________________
(c) Details of manufacturing infrastructure available : ________________ .
(d) Earlier contracts with India Ministry of Defence/Government agencies :
Agency Contract
Number
Equipment Quantity Cost
6. Certification by Quality Assurance Orgainsation (If applicable).
Name of
Agency
Certificate Applicable from
(Date & Year)
Valid till
(date & year)
7. Equipment / Product Profile (to be submitted for each product
separately)
(a) Name of Product : ________________________________________
(Should be given category wise for e.g all products under might vision devices
to be mentioned together).
(b) Description (attach technical literature) : ________________________
______________________________________________________________
(c) Whether OEM or Integrator : _________________________________
(d) Status (in Service / Design development state) : __________________
______________________________________________________________
(e) Production capacity per annum : _____________________________
(g) Countries where equipment is in service : _______________________
(h) Whether export clearance is required from respective government :
______________________________________________________________
3
(j) Any collaboration/joint venture/co product/ authorized dealer with
Indian Industry (give details) :-
Name & Address : _________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Tele No __________________ Fax : __________________________
8. Any other relevant information: -
_____________________________________________________________

[Rahul M]

thanks rupak ! where did you get this ?

incidentally

Q22. Is the light tank capable of:-
(a) Engaging MBTs at ranges exceeding the MBTs direct firing capabilities
with an ATGM in all weather and light conditions?

is specifically the point I was talking about earlier in the page about ATGMs being able to break the weapon symmetry wrt tanks.

[Jagan]

thanks rupak ! where did you get this ?

http://www.indianarmy.nic.in/

[Surya]

How many of these features are there in Tin Can

[Singha]

what happened to the proposal to upg the BMP2 fleet with a thermal sight and better ATGM. I recall poster boards on it from Defexpo brspies.

btw TOI reports that IA and Khanarmy will soon start a joint exercise in Jhansi involving mech units. the khan is flying in 17 Stryker vehicles for this and will live fire Javelin missiles too.

so we know where the wheeled component is heading

http://www.isria.com/pages/7_October_2009_6.php

US Dept of Defense - Strykers to Deploy to India for Exercise

The Army plans to deploy 17 of its Stryker combat vehicles this month to India for the first exercise of its kind in the country.

This is also the largest deployment of the Strykers outside of those sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, Army officials said.

“It’s one of the most important training exercises that we’ve done with the Indian military to date,” Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon said today at a news conference here. Mixon commands all Army forces in the U.S. Pacific Command area.

About 200 troops from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, based out of Hawaii, will train alongside the Indian army in combat maneuvers using the Strykers, Mixon said. An Indian army unit of about the same size will join the Stryker crews in Babina, about 275 miles southeast of New Delhi, for the two-week exercise starting Oct. 12. The two armies will share tactics for using the Strykers in combat, as well as its integrated computer network system, Mixon said.

The exercise will end with a live-fire demonstration of the Stryker.

“We’re very excited about it,” the general said. “We think it’s going to be a good experience for our soldiers, as well as a very important part of our relationship with India.”

This exercise, more than two years in the planning, comes as the Defense Department continues to reach out to India to increase its military collaboration. Pacific Command’s top officer, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, last month traveled to India and said officials there have committed to increasing their military relationship with the United States. Mixon said this exercise will help to build on that relationship and open doors for expanding such training there.

“We view it as a broad effort in our engagement strategy with the Indians that we want to continue to expand. It provides a … method to get at more engagements,” he said.

Mixon said the Indian army is anxious to train with the Strykers. Most military exercises in the country, he explained, have been limited to scenario-driven, commander-level exercises in which few troops are involved. Some of them included unit or troop exchanges between militaries. When U.S. forces join with other militaries in the region, the scenario typically includes both tactical and humanitarian training. This exercise is unique in that it strictly focuses on combat training and does not include a humanitarian piece.

“It’s the full gamut,” Mixon said. “It’s on the high end of fighting.”

The two armies also will share training on how to fight improvised explosive devices. More than half of the U.S. soldiers involved are fresh from a deployment in Iraq, where they dealt regularly with the homemade bomb attacks.

The unit is part of the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and is slated to return to Iraq within months after this training mission.

In the Pacific region, the U.S. Army also trains with the militaries from Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. The region’s largest combined exercise, called Cobra Gold, includes militaries from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and observers from 20 other countries. The next exercise in that series is slated for February.

“We’ve got a very active engagement strategy with all of the militaries throughout the Pacific region,” Mixon said. “It’s a very important part of what we do.”

[Rupak]

It's a little trick I learnt from brother Maz. Just peruse open source info....sometimes this involves plodding through tenders for motor grease, or atta supplies. This one was easy to find!

[Singha]

well atleast there wont be kickback delays in US deals and the eqpt is good.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 099717.cms

India and US are now all set to launch their largest-ever ground combat exercise,
which incidentally is codenamed ‘Yudh Abhyas’ (preparation for war). But it’s really not conventional war that will be the focus of the 15-day wargames, which kicks off at Babina, near Jhansi, from October 12.

‘‘The focus of Yudh Abhyas is on mechanised infantry operations for counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism in semi-urban terrain. The aim is to further enhance interoperability already built through a series of exercises with US,’’ said a senior Indian officer.

Commander of the army forces under the US Pacific Command, Lt-Gen Benjamin Mixon, in turn, said, ‘‘It will be one of the most important training exercises that we’ve done with the Indian military to date...It’s on the high-end of fighting...We’re very excited.’’

The US, anxious to grab a major chunk of the lucrative Indian arms market, will undertake ‘live-fire ops’ of its high-tech weaponry like the Stryker infantry armoured vehicles and Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) during the wargames.

Incidentally, this will be the largest overseas deployment of the Strykers after Iraq and Afghanistan, coming as the over 200 American soldiers are with 17 of the eight-wheeled armoured combat vehicles.

Costing around $1.5 million apiece, the Strykers come equipped with advanced weapons, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) protection and C4I (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence) systems.

Indian Army, on its part, has also shown interest in acquiring man-portable ATGMs like the Javelin since the indigenous ‘Nag’ ATGM is still to be operationally deployed.

That’s not all in the current phase of the Indo-US military tango. Mid-way through Yudh Abhyas, yet another exercise named ‘‘Cope India-09’’ between IAF and USAF, will begin at Agra on October 19.

In this primarily transport aircraft exercise, the US will showcase its C-17 Globemaster-III giant military aircraft, among other planes. India has already shown interest in acquiring at least 10 C-17 aircraft and 15 Chinook helicopters after inking the $2.1 billion deal for eight P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the $962 million contract for six C-130J heavy-lift aircraft with the US.

[srai]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR LIGHT TANKS WHEELED AND
TRACKED FOR INDIAN ARMY
...

It seems IA pretty much took the specs looking at IAV Stryker


http://www.tanknutdave.com/page/us-army ... ed-vehicle

[Dmurphy]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR LIGHT TANKS WHEELED AND
TRACKED FOR INDIAN ARMY
...
...
5. Inputs can be provided by Fax on No 0091-11-23793274 and by email ID:
we_dte@yahoo.com.

These guys use Yahoo? Indian Army uses Yahoo which is a Yankee website?
Also a nice advertisement for Yahoo if they can tamtam it around.

[krishnan]

Thats nothing , some dork at BARC gave out his work email id in some forum asking for rapidshare premium link gens

[Singha]

Q67. Environmental Control Unit / Air Conditioner and APU.
(a) Is the light tank provided with an air conditioner for critical equipment
and crew? Are AC ducts provided to keep crew members and critical
equipment at the requisite temperatures?
(b) Is the AC capable operating in a temperature range of up to + 55ºC?
(c) Is the AC capable of maintaining the temperature in the crew
compartment of the tank to 28±5ºC when working in an ambient temperature
of +45ºC in crew closed down mode?

AC ! 28C comfort ! very un-T72ish....very khanish

is the stryker 105mm tank turret unmanned ?

http://www.military-today.com/artillery/stryker_mgs.jpg

for tracked light tank why dont we get a bunch of refurbished Bradleys from unkil's famous boneyards
which pakis are fond of raiding for useful goodies. we supposedly onlee need 100 tracked light tanks, khan
can provide 300-500 bradleys as the army downsizes into leaner lines.

[srai]

Here are the 8-wheeled options:

http://www.tanknutdave.com/page/8-x-8-apcs-ifvs

[Tanaji]

Does anyone else get the feeling that now that the economy is doing well, the middle men of the IA are flocking at the feeding trough so that maximum number of foreign contracts can be signed? IA seems to be on a buying spree, everything foreign... on a significantly bigger proportion than the IAF or IN.