Why does everyone fight so much smh :/
Anyway, heres the thing - first of all, pen values depend on what type of RHA you are using, and the difference is quite noticeable. 540 at 2000 wont go beyond 650 at 500m, even if we take the pen value to be reliable and not bumped up for export. The thing to keep in mind is that this is passive protection, i.e. without ERA. With ERA, it should easily prevent perforation of the armour, up to rounds capable of around ~800-900 RHA pen, like chinese MBT rounds.
Secondly, its a pretty weird statement to say that "himalayas" will make the fights close distance. If anything, they will increase the range of engagement, especially in areas like Ladakh where the lack of vegetation & construction and the relatively cold environment will make tanks easily visible thermally.
Lastly, RFI is not the end of the deal. RFI is a dream list that is released for designers to try and meet. RFP is based on what is actually possible after seeing the designs.
Problem with people here are, they don't understand simple documentation and why those documentations are sought for or required.
Take a look at these specifications. Could anyone tell me that how on earth a 105 mm APFSDS round could achieve 500 mm RHAe penetration at 2000 mtr and that too at 60 degree angle? As far as I know, none of the existing 105 KE round could do that. Please correct me if I am wrong.
But does this mean the person or the body who put the specification is a bunch of fool? 105 can't do this, but 125 mm could definitely achieve it. And Sprut sports a 125 mm main gun. So the first thing in specification the user has put is,
(i) Main Gun. 105mm and above calibre.
So if we just go by this specification and others, we would be simply pitching for Sprut light tank. Now do we want that?
So the so called fools has mitigated the fact by putting a need of decent armour. We all know that if we want decent armour and armament both, we would have to reach some middle ground. Now even the passive protection of 600 mm RHAe has been sought for the frontal portion with a 60 degree arc which basically is small portion. Now IMO, this is achievable within the 27/28 ton category. But I may be wrong here.
Point is, users who created this RFI knows better then
Rajpal Yadav's over here who does a chest beating on each and everything under the sun.
As you said, RFI is not a technical specification. Its just a set of parameters which has been laid down to give prospective designers enough wriggling space to offer something.
As about things getting up close and personal in Himalayas, I am saying this based on my personal experience. Our stand is Defensive-Offense. As long as we don't change it into Offensive-Defense we need to work on our armour too.
eurasiantimes.com
www.defensenews.com
