Indian Army is planning to augment its tank-based offensive capabilities with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issuing a request for information (RFI) for capital procurement of 1,500 new generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGMs) launchers on Thursday.
The sources said that the missile counts might touch 20,000 pieces. The RFI also sought information for simulators, for the Indian Army, aimed at further enhancing its operational capabilities to strike and destroy tanks and other armoured vehicles.
These ATGMs are to be procured under the “Buy (Indian-IDDM)” category with 60 per cent indigenous content. Under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) the procurement of products is done from an Indian vendor that has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content on the cost basis of the total contract value.
The RFI has been issued with a view to finalising SQRs (Service Quality Requirements), deciding procurement category and identifying probable Indian vendors who are capable of supplying new generation ATGMs along with launcher systems within four years of the award of the contract. SQRs are parameters set for the equipment to be inducted.
As per the RFI, the ATGMs along with launcher systems should have the ability to be deployed in all terrains, including plains, deserts, high-altitude up to 5500 meters or 18,000 feet, coastal as well as island areas.
These ATGMs can be deployed along the western border with Pakistan and the northern border with China.
The RFI requires the weapon systems to be operational by day and night and in commonly encountered weather conditions including rain, fog, humidity and dust. The missiles and all other sub-systems should be operational in – 45 degrees to + 45 degrees Celsius.
The ATGMs must be able to destroy enemy tanks, armoured personnel carriers, combat vehicles, low-flying helicopters, concrete structures and other vehicle-based weapon platforms and positions.
The requirement also includes modular design so that it can be lent for future upgrades through simple modifications not leading to design and structural change.
“It should also facilitate integration and installation, without impacting the performance of any system or subsystem,” the RFI read.
The Indian Army has been successful in deploying armoured vehicles including tanks in all three sectors of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Line of Actual Control has a peculiar terrain where the altitude varies from 9,000 ft to 18,000 ft with intermittent plains and valleys. The protracted standoff in eastern Ladakh saw the mobilisation of tanks and BMPs (Russian Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty), or Infantry Fighting Vehicles, which were lined up as close as 50 ft to each other.
These vehicles can operate in the plains, semi-desert, desert and mountainous terrain with the capability to cross the rivers and streams (amphibious capability) and operate in a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) environment.
Coming to the ATGMs the Indian Army operates second-generation French-origin anti-tank guided missile Milan and Soviet semi-automatic wire-guided missile Konkur, which are in service with the Army. India also has indigenous anti-tank guided missile Nag in its arsenal.
In April this year, successful final developmental trials of the third generation Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) were carried out. Indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the short-range missile is said to be equipped with day/night and top attack capability.