India's futuristic soldier to be ready in three years

[Koovie]

If someone backstab you , you need to return the favour.
I say select the dam Italian gun and stab them in license production. Just keep making guns without paying for license

nah... we dont want to lose our reputation.

 

[Abingdonboy]

You are right..

But huge procurement's go through some upheavals and changes. I am really not sure how they will consider Beretta a reliable partner for a long term association after the whole country has called the Italian administration liars and cheats.

It is for the IA and MoD to decide and if they decide to not go with Beretta this will have no affect on the other contenders or the contract as a whole.

 

[EzioAltaïr]

Try telling that to indian army

Get me a recent report from the army. Not random news reports, one that has quotes from reliable military people, corroborated by several other news sources.

 

[EzioAltaïr]

I'm seriously confused and pissed off with this. It has been said tenders are already floated for Multi barrel guns and now OFB and ARDE developing a multi barrel carbine which is on trials. Which one is true?
Where is the prototype of that multi barrel carbine?

Talks about this rifle were already on during last december but they didnt release any pictures or something?

My guess is that they plan on using the ToT from the tender to help with the indigenous one. But that is kinda weird, because once the indigenous rifles are ready, the 66000 foreign ones will have to be dumped.

Either it's poor management, or one of the stories is a lie (I have a feeling I know which one).

 

[Abingdonboy]

@EzioAltaïr @ illusion8 @Koovie

My guess is that they plan on using the ToT from the tender to help with the indigenous one. But that is kinda weird, because once the indigenous rifles are ready, the 66000 foreign ones will have to be dumped.

Either it's poor management, or one of the stories is a lie (I have a feeling I know which one).

It is simply a case of the INSAS just not being good enough going forward and the IA taking a pragmatic view and hedging its bets. As such the ongoing procurements for ARs (assualt rifles) will begin being supplied to the IA by mid-2014 as the IA has said. Now if the DRDO fails to deliver a suitable next-gen AR as capable or more so than the winning AR that will already be in service (the DRDO's multi-cal AR isn't going to be in service before 2016) then the IA will simply go for full-scale introduction of the foreign AR for the entire IA.

Something interesting about this foreign AR deal that many may overlook is that the first units who will be equipped with the foreign ARs will be the units (RR and others) serving in JK and this is where the ~60,000 unit figure comes from (ie the number of IA in JK and along the LoC). When I was discussing this deal with a friend of mine who serves in the UK SFSG (1 PARA) he took an interesting line on the deal and its timeline- "looks like the IA is preparing for the worst come ISAF's draw-down in mid-2014, smart guys!"


Simply put the IA doesn't want to be caught with its pants down whether it is the DRDO not delivering on their multi-cal rifle or in JK and any "spillover" come next year.


+ don't forget their is a parrell procurement for some 40,000 foreign SMGs to replace the 9mm carbine in use within the IA.

 

[illusion8]

@EzioAltaïr @ illusion8 @Koovie


It is simply a case of the INSAS just not being good enough going forward and the IA taking a pragmatic view and hedging its bets. As such the ongoing procurements for ARs (assualt rifles) will begin being supplied to the IA by mid-2014 as the IA has said. Now if the DRDO fails to deliver a suitable next-gen AR as capable or more so than the winning AR that will already be in service (the DRDO's multi-cal AR isn't going to be in service before 2016) then the IA will simply go for full-scale introduction of the foreign AR for the entire IA.

Something interesting about this foreign AR deal that many may overlook is that the first units who will be equipped with the foreign ARs will be the units (RR and others) serving in JK and this is where the ~60,000 unit figure comes from (ie the number of IA in JK and along the LoC). When I was discussing this deal with a friend of mine who serves in the UK SFSG (1 PARA) he took an interesting line on the deal and its timeline- "looks like the IA is preparing for the worst come ISAF's draw-down in mid-2014, smart guys!"


Simply put the IA doesn't want to be caught with its pants down whether it is the DRDO not delivering on their multi-cal rifle or in JK and any "spillover" come next year.

That's an very interesting fact.

+ don't forget their is a parrell procurement for some 40,000 foreign SMGs to replace the 9mm carbine in use within the IA.

what's on offer in that?

 

[illusion8]

Indian Army efforts to develop indigenous basic net centric capability begins with the soldier on the ground and goes on to advanced terrestrial and space based net centric capability. A classic example of a completely indigenous simple hand held component is the “SATHI” (Situation Awareness and Tactical Handheld Information); project BETA (annual report 2004-05 Ministry of Defence). SATHI is a strong feature based portable combat information system providing a Common Operating Picture (COP) to the infantry soldier and his team on the ground. In addition, the equipment also has the ability to connect to an external long range radio to provide the battlefield picture to senior commanders. There is an integrated Geographical Positioning System (GPS) and radio, a customised Geographical Information System (GIS), dynamic wireless LAN and user friendly battlefield application. A very important component is the Software Defined Radio (SDR) which will form the core of a true ad hoc network, tactical in nature and robust on the front lines. The device communicates with hopping functionality to relay the information to HQs, which is a crucial operational requirement in a counter-insurgency or conventional environment where infrastructure is virtually non-existent.

The GIS application can be used in friend-foe identification, target marking and coordination of team activities, particularly at company level and below. The SMS and texting feature is innovative and can help in team communication, taking orders and importantly calling for help as was evident from US troops’ reports from Iraq and Afghanistan where they had used off the shelf applications like Skype and Instant Messengers to call in aerial strikes. Another functionality of which limited information is available is the self destruct in enemy hand capability; the encrypted software has a mechanism to go blank, which would be useful to secure the equipment and the contained information. The touted weight of the equipment is nearly 875 grams which is acceptable but has scope for improvement and comes with a solar charger and batteries capable of sustaining 24 hour operations. The operating system is Linux, open source software, which not only brings the cost down substantially as compared to proprietary software, but is also more secure as access to source code is not an issue. The Army had conducted user trials in Jammu and Kashmir in 2005 initially deploying around 90 of them and then in 2007 after modifications. SATHI can be used in collaboration with hand held thermal imagers (HHTI), night vision devices (NVDs), unattended ground sensors (UGS) and radios, which could be very effective in counter insurgency and border management operations to provide real time common information and strengthen the surveillance grid.

 

[Abingdonboy]

That's an very interesting fact.

Like I said, one that is overlooked by most.

what's on offer in that?

Not 100% sure.

Same big-players will be there. I'm guessing the X-95 will win this tender though:

 

[illusion8]

Like I said, one that is overlooked by most.


Not 100% sure.

Same big-players will be there. I'm guessing the X-95 will win this tender though:

Mini tavors - thought so.

The whole process is too secretive isn't it?

 

[aakash_2410]

Shouldn't this have already happened in 2012?

By the time it comes out in 2222 it will already be out dated technology!

I'm not optimistic at all about Indian time-keeping and punctuation.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Mini tavors - thought so.

The whole process is too secretive isn't it?

There's no reason, in the MoD's eyes, for it not to be I guess!


But yes, for us guys with an interest in such things it is far,far too secretive!

Shouldn't this have already happened in 2012?

By the time it comes out in 2222 it will already be out dated technology!

I'm not optimistic at all about Indian time-keeping and punctuation.

 

[EzioAltaïr]

Shouldn't this have already happened in 2012?

By the time it comes out in 2222 it will already be out dated technology!

I'm not optimistic at all about Indian time-keeping and punctuation.

So high-quality BP vests, multi-cal rifles, net-centric warfare, etc are gonna be outdated in 2022? What do you think is gonna replace it? Nanosuits?

Most foreign programs such as FELINE and the US Land Warrior program have similar objectives. So no, it's here to stay.

 

[aakash_2410]

So high-quality BP vests, multi-cal rifles, net-centric warfare, etc are gonna be outdated in 2022? What do you think is gonna replace it? Nanosuits?

Most foreign programs such as FELINE and the US Land Warrior program have similar objectives. So no, it's here to stay.

I said 2222, it was exaggeration. But my point is why can't we follow the timelines we give!! LCA Tejas took off from drawing table in 1980s it still hasn't been inducted in reasonable numbers!!

We come up with next generation ideas but by the time we have them, everyone else has it. That's true!

 

[EzioAltaïr]

I said 2222, it was exaggeration. But my point is why can't we follow the timelines we give!! LCA Tejas wtook from drawing table in 1980s it still hasn't been inducted in reasonable numbers!!

We come up with next generation ideas but by the time we have them, everyone else has it. That's true!

I don't get it, the timeline was always meant to be: the program will start in 2012 (the tenders did start then), and finish by 2020.

EDIT: I misread 2222

 

[Abingdonboy]

I said 2222, it was exaggeration. But my point is why can't we follow the timelines we give!! LCA Tejas took off from drawing table in 1980s it still hasn't been inducted in reasonable numbers!!

We come up with next generation ideas but by the time we have them, everyone else has it. That's true!

So what should India do? Not have ambition??! Please there is a wealth of difference between the likes of a first time fighter jet program and a program like F-INSAS. This 2015 deadline is perfectly realistic and achievable for India.