RFI for future ready combat vehiclefor IA

[Abingdonboy]

This is an RFI for the Future Ready Combat Vehicle based on the modular concept, meaning a common chassis/platform for a number of vehicle types. This is ideal for standardization which will be extremely cost effective.

Reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) are three system attributes that are of tremendous interest to systems engineers, logisticians, and users. Collectively, they affect economic life-cycle costs of a system and its utility.

This standardization concept has been followed by the Russians since WWII. Take for example the Russian Armata. This is a Universal Combat Platform for the advanced NG Heavy Military Tracked Vehicle Platform. This Armata platform is the basis of theT-14 tank, the T-15 AFV, a Combat Engineering Vehicle, an ARV, a heavy APC/ICV, a tank support combat vehicle and several types of SP artillery under the same codename based on the same chassis.

It is also intended to serve as the basis for AD and NBC defense systems. The new Armata tank platform is meant to replace the older Russian MBTs and APCs that are currently used by the Russian military.

So I think what we're doing is to follow the Russian concept of having a common platform for all combat vehicle types.

Here are some examples...

Armata Tank, the T-14

Armata AFV, the T-15

I agree with you that the IA is looking for a family of vehicles but looking at the RFI it seems clear this is for support vehicles (BLTs, engineering vehicles, recovery vehicles, ambulance etc) but NOT a AFV/IFV variant. Also, like I have said, TATA made it clear they were expecting the FICV project to be restarted shortly (a few weeks back) and this is an entirely separate project IMHO.

How about reviving Tank Ex? It appears to be an ideal solution for upgrading the Indian Army’s vast and aging T-72M1 fleet.

The DRDO is free to submit this to the IA but I doubt it would be accepted. The Tank-EX was meant as an interim solution (why it wasn't taken up is beyond me) but what the IA appears to want now is a next generation system built from the ground up for their needs.

 

[Levina]

Hmmmm, this is most strange and unexpected.


It doesn't seem to be the FICV at all but a light tank the IA is looking for to replace their T-72s. I didn't realise this was on the IA's radar for the immediate future, I just hope the private sector are invited to participate from the outset (almost certainly they will be if this has been drawn up under the new DM/GoI). This is pretty big news.


@sancho @Water Car Engineer @Chanakya's_Chant @Koovie @Dillinger @MilSpec @levina @bloo @acetophenol @ayesha.a @OrionHunter @janon @Indo-guy @IndoCarib

Just look at the timing of this RFI....they had to wait till Russian ARMATA made a debut?

 

[Manindra]

How about reviving Tank Ex? It appears to be an ideal solution for upgrading the Indian Army’s vast and aging T-72M1 fleet.

This would not give commission & easter European flesh.