Indian army $10-bn combat vehicle order!!!

[Shaitan]

Mumbai/New Delhi: Ashok Leyland (ALL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Bharat Forge, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) are among those who have bid for a $10-billion (R44,000 core) defence ministry contract to supply combat vehicles for the Indian Army. The size of the tender is comparable to the one for combat aircraft being finalised by the ministry.
The ministry will shortlist two vendors for Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs) by July end, based on technical and commercial criteria under the 'buy & make' category. Under this category, only Indian companies with technical and financial capabilities are asked to submit bids.

Infantry combat vehicles are armoured vehicles carrying soldiers and supporting main battle tanks with firepower in war. Their armour is lighter than main tanks' but heavier than armoured personnel carriers'.

While ALL and L&T have bid as a team, state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is also believed to be in the fray. The defenceministry was yet to respond to an email query sent to it several days ago on the subject.
The Army would require 2,610 FICVs to replace the existing, Soviet-vintage 'Sarath' BMP-II combat vehicles built by OFB. Sarath has been in service for around 31 years, and will be phased out from 2017. Confirming ALL's involvement, V Sumantran, executive vice-chairman, Hinduja Automotive UK, said: "We are working on the FICV project with L&T."

Subodh Tandale, Bharat Forge executive director, also confirmed the firm's interest in the contract, saying, "We are working on the FICV project and will not just be a component supplier but participate on a bigger scale." A Tata Motors official confirmed participation in the project but was unwilling to go on record. Kutub Hai, head, Mahindra Defence Systems, said: "We are one of the shortlisted companies and are now waiting for the final shortlist which should be out byend of July or early August."
In the early stages of selecting a new combat vehicle, the Army headquarters outlines its existing capabilities and future requirements, indicating its long-term requirement in terms of numbers, time schedule, fund availability and technologies. This is scrutinised by a committee before listing it as a 'buy & make (Indian)' project.

Indian firms reputed to have requisite technical and financial capabilities to undertake such projects are invited to bid and shortlisted. The winner will be expected to build 70% of the vehicle.

As per India's defence procurement rules framed in 2008, the FICVs will be built in an integrated manner involving the Army, the defence ministry and the industry in aspects of research, design, development and production of systems. Detailed specifications for FICVs are still being outlined. According to sources, the FICV is expected to be half-tracked and half-wheeled, and a combat vehicle ready for inland warfare.

Auto cos, L&T vie for Army's $10-bn combat vehicle order

IDK if anyone caught this in the article....

Detailed specifications for FICVs are still being outlined. According to sources, the FICV is expected to be half-tracked and half-wheeled, and a combat vehicle ready for inland warfare.

wtf

 

[ace009]

Half-tracks are not a new concept. They were extensively used in WW-2, both by the Germans as well as by the US forces.

Half-track - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Using some of the MICV as half-tracks makes sens, especially for uneven terrains.
I would have thought some vehicles would be made with full caterpillar tracks too.

 

[plugwater]

IDK if anyone caught this in the article....

Detailed specifications for FICVs are still being outlined. According to sources, the FICV is expected to be half-tracked and half-wheeled, and a combat vehicle ready for inland warfare.

Something like this

Anyway if they are going for both wheeled and tracked means every company must be asked to design both types, i hope instead of making half vehicles as wheeled they should go for 70:30 combination and 70% for tracked and rest being wheeled, they should ask the second best bidder to make the wheeled and the winner gets the bigger share to make tracked version

 

[plugwater]

Half-tracks are not a new concept. They were extensively used in WW-2, both by the Germans as well as by the US forces.

Half-track - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Using some of the MICV as half-tracks makes sens, especially for uneven terrains.
I would have thought some vehicles would be made with full caterpillar tracks too.

You have mistaken the article mate, Half tracked in the sense half the number of vehicles they are going to procure.

 

[gogbot]

You have mistaken the article mate, Half tracked in the sense half the number of vehicles they are going to procure.

It was said in the context of speicifications.
Unless the article itself is inaccurate , it implies FICV is in fact a Half-Track

--

Perhaps something like this

Half Tank | English Russia

 

[debasree]

the amount is whooping,how many units really they want ,are we in the verge of making the whole army mechanised,if they just go for it ,i will be more than happy

 

[Kunal Biswas]

BMS-1 Alacran
Prototype armored personnel carrier

The BMS-1 Alacrán (Spanish: Scorpion) was the last halftrack AFV ever developed. It was developed in the early 1980s as a private venture by Cardoen Industries, based upon experience gained in it's modernization of Chile's M3A1 halftracks in the mid-1970s. The objective was to develop a modern Halftrack Universal Carrier for sale throughout the developing world, as a possible follow-on to World War 2-era designs in service.

Ultimately the Alacran was not a success; while it's mobility was demonstrated to be superior to all other halftrack models, the Chilean Army deemed it to be poor in comparison to contemporary wheeled and full-track vehicles, and the offer was turned down. The Alacran ultimately proved a failure on the export market as well, as the armed forces of every potential customer either came to the same conclusion as the Chilean Army, deemed it too expensive, or both.

Protection is afforded by high-hardness steel armor, proofed against blast overpressure, 7.62-mm armor-piercing rounds, and shell splinters on all sides, and 12.7-mm ball rounds over the frontal arc. Photographs of the interior suggest that spall liners are not a standard feature, and it is unclear if an NBC system or fire suppression are available for the Alacran.

Propulsion is provided by a Detroit Diesel 6V-53T diesel V6 with 275 hp at 2800 rpm, coupled to an Allison MT-653 automatic transmission with 5 forward gears and 1 reverse gear. It is worth noting that this is the same engine used in the M113A3 APC. A Cummins V-555 diesel with 230 hp at 3000 rpm was also offered. 350 l of fuel are carried internally.

BMS-1 Alacran Prototype Armored Personnel Carrier | Military-Today.com



IA wants more troops in Mech Vehicles...
But this wont be good as BMP interms of protection and Armour..

That thing is not Amphibious, i don't think Half-tracks can be amphibious..
And In India their are lots of canal and river to cross..

Also i doubt anything but a 50cal can be mounted on..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Detailed specifications for FICVs are still being outlined. According to sources, the FICV is expected to be half-tracked and half-wheeled, and a combat vehicle ready for inland warfare.

wtf

Preciously !

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Some one is playing wrong..

 

[pack leader]

maybe stupid journalist made a stupid mistake
don't take this too hard

 

[Tshering22]

HOLY CANOLY!! 10 Billion? Was the reporter on crack or what? Does he/she even know how many FICVs can be bought with that amount?? Even Soviet Union, the largest army on earth didn't plan for something this massive. The article is making Gen. Singh sound as if he's on an all out Asia war.

Stupid reporting I'd say.

 

[plugwater]

HOLY CANOLY!! 10 Billion? Was the reporter on crack or what? Does he/she even know how many FICVs can be bought with that amount?? Even Soviet Union, the largest army on earth didn't plan for something this massive. The article is making Gen. Singh sound as if he's on an all out Asia war.

Stupid reporting I'd say.

10 billion estimation is correct. Each FICV is going to cost around 5 million, so to replace all(2000+) BMPs we have to spend 10 billion.

 

[Tshering22]

10 billion estimation is correct. Each FICV is going to cost around 5 million, so to replace all(2000+) BMPs we have to spend 10 billion.

Oh alright. But that amount is really huge. I thought it was going to be a rapid procurement arrangement or something. My bad. BTW, I think designing and making something like a Mobile Gun System (like Stryker and Pandur II) would be more sensible. We need a more expeditionary Army for rapid movement and decent armor to withstand a full blown invasion. An 8x8 MGS would make a nice addition to the rather rigid profile BMP series category.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

The military spending is starting to reach absurd levels if this article is true/accurate.

 

[plugwater]

I guess it will come with MGS. But how much foreign systems a bidder can include in their vehicle is not yet clear. Since Tata, Mahindra have no experience in making guns they will import them and any APS ?

 

[plugwater]

The military spending is starting to reach absurd levels if this article is true/accurate.

We will build them at the rate of 100 per year so at max 500 million will go to this project, Compare this with 25 FGFA per year(25*150 mill=3.75 bill), Money spend on FICV will be nothing compared to other projects. In ten years our defence budget will reach 100 billion USD.

 

[Blackwater]

kuch nahi hona, 10 saal tak tender decide nahi hona

In english

Nothing will happen .They will not even decide on tender in 10 yrs.....

 

[Shaitan]

The military spending is starting to reach absurd levels if this article is true/accurate.

You are absolutely right. $3-5 million for a single ICV is too damn much. A single Arjun tank is $3+ million..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Puzzle Solved..

Puzzle Solved..

After some research, I believe reporter is right regarding half track, What he meant is misunderstood by us..

This makes Perfect scene to our requirements..

A Vehicle which can have both tracked and wheel version..

Rubber Tracks Make Military Vehicles More Efficient, Durable, and Quieter

Looks More Like a Toy, but Performs Better

Recently, we wrote about the fuel consumption of some common US military vehicles (f.ex., the M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles get about 1.7 MPG and the M1A1 Abrams Battle Tank gets about 0.6 MPG). This matters because we're not talking about small amounts of fuel: according to NPR, all the tanks, planes and ships of the U.S. military burn about 340,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the "single-largest purchaser and consumer of oil in the world."
One way to make tracked vehicles both more eco-friendly and safer and more comfortable for the people inside them is to use new high-tech rubber tracks. Read on for more details.

Photo: Soucy International, who also makes rubber tracks for construction and agricultural equipment.
The Economist has an interesting piece about this in their technology quarterly edition. But let's start from the beginning...

The Washing-Machine, and Not a Delicate Cycle
Most tracked military vehicles use tracks with metal plates. This has several inconvenients, including severe vibrations (some soldiers call Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) washing-machines) that are bad both for the health of the people inside and for the mechanical health of vehicles, leading to more frequent breakdowns.
These metal tracks are also bad for roads, causing a lot of damage that must be repaired, and they wear out fast. "On average, the segments of a steel track must be repaired or replaced after just 400 km (250 miles) of use." The new rubber tracks last more than 3,000 km (1865 miles) before they need to be replaced.
Fuel economy is also affected: Metal tracks are heavy, and you also need to carry replacement tracks, which means you need a beefier suspension. All things considered, rubber tracks could improve fuel economy by about 1/3, according to TACOM, the American army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command. That's significant when you think about what kind of MPG Tanks and APCs get.

Rubber tracks also provide more traction, in part because, being lighter, they can be made wider than steel tracks. That means vehicles fitted with them do not get stuck in the mud. The vehicles accelerate faster, too, and drivers say they handle almost as well on paved roads as wheeled vehicles do. On top of this, they are quieter.​

The only problem is that so far these rubber tracks (many of which are made in Quebec, Canada, by Soucy International) are not yet strong enough for 50-tonne battle tanks. But they are getting there, and already some 30-tonne vehicles are being tested with them.

Rubber Tracks Make Military Vehicles More Efficient, Durable, and Quieter : TreeHugger




Our requirement is 20 ton max..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Now Imagine any of this vehicle with little modification on looks also as per reqirment with those Rubber tracks..

LAV-25

Pandur II 8x8

BTR-90

Any Modern 8x8 or 6x6 armored vehicle..

30 MM Samson RCWS have good opportunity in this area..