PremiumThe Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to finalize the specifications for acquiring 1,750 Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs) under the Make in India initiative to target enemy tanks and carry troops, a statement said Thursday.
The RFI was issued on Wednesday, an Indian army official said.
The FICVs are for deployment in places like eastern Ladakh–where Indian and Chinese troops are currently engaged in a major faceoff. The FICVs are also for deployment in the desert and amphibious terrain, a statement from the Indian Army said.
The FICV project has been in the works for a while, with Indian defence planners projecting the requirement for a modern troops' carrier equipped with tank-busting capabilities more recently during the Ladakh conflict with China.
Given its experience in a high-altitude area like Ladakh, the Indian Army is also on the lookout for a light tank weighing less than 25 tonnes. Last year, during the India-China standoff, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had deployed its Type-15 light tanks along the Line of Actual Control. In August, the Indian Army deployed its T-72 and T-90 Main Battle Tanks on the South bank of Pangong Tso to counter Chinese deployments.
Given this scenario, the Indian Army had issued an RFI in April this year for acquiring 350 light tanks in a phased manner, along with performance-based logistics, niche technologies, engineering support and other maintenance and training requirements. "The advancement in technology also facilitates that the 'Light Tank' is having weapon systems and protection of adequate capacity and is equipped suitably to operate in current/future threat spectrum, to support combat operations as a weapon system," the RFI had said adding that the last date of acceptance of receipt of response was 18 June.
"The advancement in technology also facilitates that the 'Light Tank' is having weapon systems and protection of adequate capacity and is equipped suitably to operate in current/future threat spectrum, to support combat operations as a weapon system," the RFI had said.
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