TATA’s Kestral 8×8 Armored Fighting Vehicle to be tested by Indian Army.

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TATA’s Kestral 8×8 Armored Fighting Vehicle to be tested by Indian Army. | idrw.org

IDRW NEWS NETWORK (INN)

According to reliable information provided to idrw.org, TATA Motors which had showcased Kestral 8×8 Armored Fighting Vehicle at Defexpo 2014 as a possible contender to the Indian Army Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle program, has been Cleared by government to carry out trials in India and Indian Army will be conducting Initial user trials in coming months.

TATA Motors will be providing Indian Army 3 Kestral Amphibious Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) for Initial user trails and Indian Army after evaluation will suggest changes or improvements to meet their Specific requirements.

Kestrel was designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Supacat of the UK. DRDO provided designs to TATA Motors and British Company Supacat which specializes in designs and manufactures of high mobility vehicles chipped by providing protection and firepower support for the Vehicle.

Kestrel which weighs 22.5-26 tons is powered by 600HP diesel engine. and can carry 10 fully armed troops along with 2 Crew members and will be instrumental in providing firepower to the advancing troops. the vehicle is equipped with NBC protection and crew compartment is protected by applying inner composite spall liner as per mission requirements of the user to preotect its crew from small and heavy arms fire.

Kestral can travel at 100km on Normal Roads and around 10km in water. Kestral comes with independent suspensions and eight wheel drive, with the flat run capability which means vehicles can move around even when it has suffered puncture to any number of tires.

Kestral displayed at Defexpo 2014 was carrying a Kongsberg 40mm remotely controlled Station along with two Javelin ATGM missiles. they are also talks about adding 40mm Automatic grenade launcher along with support for 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

Indian army still uses 1500 Soviet era BMP infantry combat vehicle which are been upgraded to BMP-2M standard and will remain in service for another decades to come, Kestral if accepted will be replacing older BMP vehicles purchased in 80’s.

 

[jaiind]

 

[Perpendicular]

 

[VeeraBahadur]

With the kind of mandate Modi government has got and his personal liking for ambitious Make in India program, as the time passes strong arm tactics will get more pronounced only.

IA will have to mend it's way and start accepting Indian products.Their inkling for phoren maal can wait for now. I guess experience of VK Singh is making it count.

 

[Last Samuri]

Once india Private industry takes over indengious weapons production indiand home grown weapons will rocket to chinease levels

 

[Hindustani78]

With the kind of mandate Modi government has got and his personal liking for ambitious Make in India program, as the time passes strong arm tactics will get more pronounced only.

IA will have to mend it's way and start accepting Indian products.Their inkling for phoren maal can wait for now. I guess experience of VK Singh is making it count.

Make in India are actually joint ventures along with Technology transfers . In the coming years , Republic of India is going to arms exporters for mainly Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries. Armour vehicles, Surface to Air missiles and Fighter planes.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

TATA and Supacat collaborated to produce LAMV, not Kestral.

This Kestral is not for the FICV program, but for a separate program. TATA just responded to an RFI for a wheeled amphibious platform, which TATA responded with the FICV wheeled platform. Very convenient for them as the FICV program is being redefined.

This source sucks.

 

[Perpendicular]

TATA and Supacat collaborated to produce LAMV, not Kestral.

This Kestral is not for the FICV program, but for a separate program. TATA just responded to an RFI for a wheeled amphibious platform, which TATA responded with the FICV wheeled platform. Very convenient for them as the FICV program is being redefined.

This source sucks.

At the 6th International Land and Naval Systems Exhibition, also called DEFEXPO India 2012, held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from March 29 to April 1, Tata Motors displayed the scaled models of its concept futuristic infantry combat vehicle (FICV), including the turret. In addition, the proposed layout of the production facility was also displayed. Tata Motors is one of the four Indian companies which has been issued the Expression of Interest (EoI) by the Indian Army for the FICV, a ‘Make Indian’ project. The company has accordingly responded to the EoI based on indigenous design and development in association with key technology partners, and submitted its response in October 2010.
India will not shelve its homegrown $10 billion Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program in favor of advanced Russian BMP-3 combat vehicles. The decision was conveyed to the Russian side at the 18 November 2013 meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation held in Moscow.

India’s Mahindra Defence Systems tied up with BAE Systems, Larsen & Toubro was working on overseas tie ups, and Tata Motors was also working to connect with overseas companies after its tie up with Rheinmetall stalled following the blacklisting of the German company. State-owned Ordnance Factories Board was also in the race. The MoD will shortlist two competitors to develop their prototypes, which will be put to trial.

The Tata Motors vehicle weighs 22.5 tons and is powered by a 600 horsepower engine. Both wheeled and tracked forms of the amphibious vehicle are being developed.

An Army official said the WHAP is close to the FICV’s specifications of weighing 20 tons and having a 25:1 ratio of horsepower per ton. WHAP also is amphibious, as required under FICV.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

At the 6th International Land and Naval Systems Exhibition, also called DEFEXPO India 2012, held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from March 29 to April 1, Tata Motors displayed the scaled models of its concept futuristic infantry combat vehicle (FICV), including the turret. In addition, the proposed layout of the production facility was also displayed. Tata Motors is one of the four Indian companies which has been issued the Expression of Interest (EoI) by the Indian Army for the FICV, a ‘Make Indian’ project. The company has accordingly responded to the EoI based on indigenous design and development in association with key technology partners, and submitted its response in October 2010.
India will not shelve its homegrown $10 billion Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program in favor of advanced Russian BMP-3 combat vehicles. The decision was conveyed to the Russian side at the 18 November 2013 meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation held in Moscow.

India’s Mahindra Defence Systems tied up with BAE Systems, Larsen & Toubro was working on overseas tie ups, and Tata Motors was also working to connect with overseas companies after its tie up with Rheinmetall stalled following the blacklisting of the German company. State-owned Ordnance Factories Board was also in the race. The MoD will shortlist two competitors to develop their prototypes, which will be put to trial.

The Tata Motors vehicle weighs 22.5 tons and is powered by a 600 horsepower engine. Both wheeled and tracked forms of the amphibious vehicle are being developed.

An Army official said the WHAP is close to the FICV’s specifications of weighing 20 tons and having a 25:1 ratio of horsepower per ton. WHAP also is amphibious, as required under FICV.

It's not FICV program, but they submitted their wheeled FICV concept for the RFI from DRDO to pitch to the army a wheeled amphibious platform. This program doesnt have as much orders as the FICV.

The Konsberg turret isnt final, though the Dans want to enter the Indian market with it. The platform is totally modular, you can even put on a OFB BMP2 turret on it if they like, said TATA Motors rep.

 

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Approximately, 1900 ICVs BMP-2/2K are in service with the Indian Army and are likely to remain operational till 2017. The Indian Army was worried about its operational capability, particularly in terms of rapid deployment post the 2017 scenario.
I think you are mixing FICV and FRCV

 

[Omega007]

Approximately, 1900 ICVs BMP-2/2K are in service with the Indian Army and are likely to remain operational till 2017. The Indian Army was worried about its operational capability, particularly in terms of rapid deployment post the 2017 scenario.
I think you are mixing FICV and FRCV

He is not.The FICV,as we knew the program ,is more or less dead.

 

[Perpendicular]

He is not.The FICV,as we came to knew the program ,is more or less dead.

I don't think FICV is dead or atleast the requirement for that platform. What thing is replacing BMP's then.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Approximately, 1900 ICVs BMP-2/2K are in service with the Indian Army and are likely to remain operational till 2017. The Indian Army was worried about its operational capability, particularly in terms of rapid deployment post the 2017 scenario.
I think you are mixing FICV and FRCV

No, Im not. FICV is being redefined as we speak, and official expression of interest will be out. Last time they wanted wheeled and tracked platforms. In the mean time while the FICV is being redefined, TATA submitted their wheeled FICV design to a VRDE RFI. It was accepted. This is a limited production(100s) amphibious vehicle by the army. Unlike the FICV, which will be in the 1000s.

He is not.The FICV,as we came to knew the program ,is more or less dead.

It's not, it's being redefined. EOI will be out, TATA and other companies are waiting for it.

 

[Omega007]

I don't think FICV is dead or atleast the requirement for that platform. What thing is replacing BMP's then.

A version of the FRCV......... or at least that's how it seems from the RFI.

It's not, it's being redefined. EOI will be out, TATA and other companies are waiting for it.

I said as we knew it.What it means that,army now plans to make a version of the FRCV as its next generation ICV,which will share the same chassis its MBT cousin..................so it would seem from the RFI they drafted.But to be honest,I do not think the FRCV mambo jumbo has really got any future and it might end up the same way and to the same place as did the foreign multi cal rifle tender.The RFI was simply unrealistic and was mutually contradictory in its various requirements.

 

[Perpendicular]

A version of the FRCV......... or at least that's how it seems from the RFI.



I said as we knew it.What it means that,army now plans to make a version of the FRCV as its next generation ICV,which will share the same chassis its MBT cousin..................so it would seem from the RFI they drafted.But to be honest,I do not think the FRCV mambo jumbo has really got any future and it might end up the same way and to the same place as did the foreign multi cal rifle tender.The RFI was simply unrealistic and was mutually contradictory in its various requirements.

True. Not only FICV but they have redifined FMBT as well.
The Army’s request is for an FRCV that will not only serve as a ‘medium’-sized main battle tank to replace the Army’s ageing fleet of licence-built Russian T-72s but also as a ‘light-tracked and wheeled tank’, built on the same platform.

The following variants are planned to be developed on the FRCV platform:-

1. Tracked Main Battle Tank - Primary variant.
2. Tracked Light Tank.
3. Wheeled Version.
4. Bridge Layer Tank (BLT).
5. Trawl Tank and Mine Ploughs.
6. Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV).
7. Self Propelled Artillery Gun/Howitzer.
8. Air Defence Gun/Msl System.
9. Artillery Observation Post Vehicle.
10. Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle.
11. Armored Ambulance.

Anyway DGMF must have been told that this RFI is out of sync, whereas army critically requires something to replace the older BMP's. As govt has rejected Russian offer of BMP3.
That's why this news might have some substance.