Indian Army BMP 2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Sarath

Lancer

Bana
Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2019
Messages
1,447
Likes
5,876
Country flag
Make in India gets a big boost; MoD places indent for supply of 156 upgraded BMP Infantry Combat Vehicles of value Rs 1,094 Cr on OFB



In a major boost to ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government, Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the approval of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, has today placed an Indent on Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for supply of 156 BMP 2/2k Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICV) with upgraded features for use of the Mechanised Forces of the Indian Army. Under this Indent, the ICVs will be manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Medak in Telangana at an approximate cost of Rs 1,094 crore.





The BMP-2/2K ICVs are going to be powered by 285 horse power engines and are lower in weight which will make them highly mobile to meet all tactical requirements of mobility in the battlefield. These ICVs will be able to reach a speed of 65 kilometres per hour (kmph) with easy steering ability in cross country terrain. They will have amphibious capabilities to travel at 07 kmph in water. These are designed to overcome slope of upto 35° cross obstacles of 0.7 metre and have lethal firepower capability.





With the induction of these 156 BMP 2/2K ICVs, planned to be completed by 2023, the existing deficiency in the Mechanised Infantry Battalions will be mitigated and the combat capability of the Army will be further enhanced.

I saw pictures online of different upgrade packages for BMP's; is the long term plan to pick a package and upgrade our fleet, or go for new vehicles?
 

WolfPack86

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
10,498
Likes
16,937
Country flag
OFB mentions that upgraded BMP-IIs undergoing user evaluation trial. Afaik, trials of BMP-II upgrade for night enablement and intigrated fire control system completed last year. Unlikely, new orders are placed for the the right one but left one (i.e not for OFB FICV)
 

WolfPack86

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
10,498
Likes
16,937
Country flag
India to produce 152 more BMP-2 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicles

The Indian Ministry of Defense MoD approves the procurement of 156 BMP-2 IFV armored tracked vehicles from Ordnance Factory Metak (OFM), a unit under OFB,” said the press department in a tweet. The OFB did not detail the type of the BMP-family IFV to be bought; however, the OFM is known to have been producing BMP-2s under a Soviet/Russian license since the late 1980s.


According to the OFM’s official portfolio, the BMP-2 Sarath (the Indian designation of the baseline BMP-2 IFV — TASS) is powered by a 300-hp engine, producing a road speed of up to 65 km/h and a swimming speed of up to 7 km/h. The vehicle runs over a 35° slope and crosses a 0.7 m trench, the manufacturer claims. “Due to its low weight, BMP-2 Sarath can be easily transported by an airlifter,” said a spokesperson for the OFM. The IFV’s armament suite comprises a 30 mm automatic cannon, a coaxial 7.62 mm general-purpose machinegun (GPMG), a 2nd-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), and several smoke grenade launchers. “The BMP-2 Sarath can engage both land and low-flying aerial targets,” said the OFM’s spokesperson. According to the enterprise’s portfolio, the IFV’s protection has been additionally reinforced with a disruptive camouflage coating.


The plant also produces a number of BMP-2-based systems, including medical evacuation (medevac) vehicle, a self-propelled mortar, a chemical, illogical, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicle, and an armoured engineer vehicle.


The OFM has been manufacturing the BMP-2 since 1987. During the DefExpo 2020 defense show held in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India) in early February, a spokesperson for Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) told the TASS news agency that India had produced some 2,500 IFVs. In 1984, India obtained a license to produce 3,000 BMP-2s.


According to the Military Balance 2020 handbook published by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Indian Army (IA) operates some 2,400 BMP-2 and BMP-2K (‘K’ for Command, Komandnaya) Sarath IFVs. The Indian MoD made its previous order for the licensed BMP-2 in February 2017: the country’s military procured some 150 vehicles in the basic configuration.


India is also planning to modernize a large number of its existing BMP-2 IFVs. An updated variant of the Sarath with updated electronic subsystems broke its cover at the DefExpo 2020 defence exhibition.


The baseline BMP-2 was produced by the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant (Kurganmashzavod, now a subsidiary of Rostec’s High-Precision Weapons). According to the manufacturer, the vehicle weighs some 14.0 t, has a crew of three, and transports seven servicemen. It is powered by a 300-hp UTD-20 multifuel engine, producing a road speed of up to 65 km/h and a swimming speed of up to 7 km/h. The IFV’s average road speed reaches 40-50 km/h. The BMP-2 is armed with a 2A42 30 mm automatic cannon, a Kalashnikov PKTM 7.62 mm GPMG, and a ready-use 9M113/9M113M Konkurs/Konkurs-M (NATO reporting name: AT-4 Spandrel/AT-4b Spandrel) ATGM system. The IFV carries 500 30 mm rounds, 2,000 7.62 mm cartridges, and four missiles.
 

Ajax01

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
360
Likes
1,183
Country flag
The plant also produces a number of BMP-2-based systems, including medical evacuation (medevac) vehicle, a self-propelled mortar, a chemical, illogical, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicle, and an armoured engineer vehicle.
Illogical?
 

WolfPack86

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
10,498
Likes
16,937
Country flag

Indian Army deployed T-72&BMP-2 in plains of North Sikkim (Fingers Area) to tackle PLA. -BMP-2 (with India flag) seen crossing Dongkha La pass (Google map image of same area) towards north -India-Tibet border lies 12 km beyond the lake (Tso Lhamo lake, source of Teesta river)
 

BangaliBabu

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
774
Likes
2,323
Country flag


From #SindhuSudarshan An #IndianArmy BMP-2 firing Konkurs missile In second pic how it does look







OFB upgraded BMP-2 ifv.
no doubt good, but the prototype looks like a USSR-turned-Bankrupt-turned-Democracy era model.

I think the OFBs intentionally made this shitty-looking crawly-crawly fast creature to register their protests of doing work beyond their intellectual and moral capacity.
 

Akula

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
2,895
Likes
10,850
Country flag
no doubt good, but the prototype looks like a USSR-turned-Bankrupt-turned-Democracy era model.

I think the OFBs intentionally made this shitty-looking crawly-crawly fast creature to register their protests of doing work beyond their intellectual and moral capacity.
It needs lot of improvement, specially the turret. According to Trishul blog it will get Russian 57mm gun.
 

WolfPack86

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
10,498
Likes
16,937
Country flag
India To Halt FICV Program, Speed BMP-2 Upgrades: Reports
The Indian Ministry of Defense will hasten the upgrading of its Russian-made BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles and will issue tenders to buy 2,000 engines for the program, according to reports, while shelving its $10 billion FICV program.


The Indian Army’s more than 1,500 BMP-2s will be upgraded at a cost of more than $1.2 billion in the next three to five years, and the program last month received formal MoD clearance, Defense News reported.


Though this move doesn’t necessarily shut down the homegrown FICV project, it is less likely to see the light of day because the decision has already been delayed, an Army official was quoted as saying.


The Army requires engines able to generate 350 to 380 horsepower and are easy to maintain and operate in extreme weather conditions. The existing engine of the BMP-2 has 285 horsepower and is not suited for cross-country mobility, the report added.


With the upgrade, the Indian Army will be able to provide an improved anti-tank guided missile system and 30mm automatic grenade launcher with advances observation and surveillance, night-fighting capability and fire control.


After two years of talks, a decision has yet to be made on the FICV project that would be the first built in the “Make India” category.


Two short-listed Indian companies would be required to build an FICV prototype and the winning company would be awarded the contract to produce 2600 FICs after field trials.


The Defense Ministry had selected state-owned Bharat Earth Movers and a consortium of Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Defense and Tata Power.
 

piKacHHu

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
323
Likes
994
Country flag
India To Halt FICV Program, Speed BMP-2 Upgrades: Reports
The Indian Ministry of Defense will hasten the upgrading of its Russian-made BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles and will issue tenders to buy 2,000 engines for the program, according to reports, while shelving its $10 billion FICV program.


The Indian Army’s more than 1,500 BMP-2s will be upgraded at a cost of more than $1.2 billion in the next three to five years, and the program last month received formal MoD clearance, Defense News reported.


Though this move doesn’t necessarily shut down the homegrown FICV project, it is less likely to see the light of day because the decision has already been delayed, an Army official was quoted as saying.


The Army requires engines able to generate 350 to 380 horsepower and are easy to maintain and operate in extreme weather conditions. The existing engine of the BMP-2 has 285 horsepower and is not suited for cross-country mobility, the report added.


With the upgrade, the Indian Army will be able to provide an improved anti-tank guided missile system and 30mm automatic grenade launcher with advances observation and surveillance, night-fighting capability and fire control.


After two years of talks, a decision has yet to be made on the FICV project that would be the first built in the “Make India” category.


Two short-listed Indian companies would be required to build an FICV prototype and the winning company would be awarded the contract to produce 2600 FICs after field trials.


The Defense Ministry had selected state-owned Bharat Earth Movers and a consortium of Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Defense and Tata Power.
MOD/Army should be slapped with charges under IPC 420 for announcing such Ponzi project FICV, FMBT etc. to make fool of everybody . :smash:
 

IndianHawk

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
9,058
Likes
37,669
Country flag
India To Halt FICV Program, Speed BMP-2 Upgrades: Reports
The Indian Ministry of Defense will hasten the upgrading of its Russian-made BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles and will issue tenders to buy 2,000 engines for the program, according to reports, while shelving its $10 billion FICV program.


The Indian Army’s more than 1,500 BMP-2s will be upgraded at a cost of more than $1.2 billion in the next three to five years, and the program last month received formal MoD clearance, Defense News reported.


Though this move doesn’t necessarily shut down the homegrown FICV project, it is less likely to see the light of day because the decision has already been delayed, an Army official was quoted as saying.


The Army requires engines able to generate 350 to 380 horsepower and are easy to maintain and operate in extreme weather conditions. The existing engine of the BMP-2 has 285 horsepower and is not suited for cross-country mobility, the report added.


With the upgrade, the Indian Army will be able to provide an improved anti-tank guided missile system and 30mm automatic grenade launcher with advances observation and surveillance, night-fighting capability and fire control.


After two years of talks, a decision has yet to be made on the FICV project that would be the first built in the “Make India” category.


Two short-listed Indian companies would be required to build an FICV prototype and the winning company would be awarded the contract to produce 2600 FICs after field trials.


The Defense Ministry had selected state-owned Bharat Earth Movers and a consortium of Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Defense and Tata Power.
Well the budget is low due to economic impact of corona. So it's a good decision to upgrade BMPs.

Ficv and fmbt can be revived 4-5 yeras later when economy is robust and budget is higher.

Private sector should be ready with production standard prototypes in this period.
 

piKacHHu

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
323
Likes
994
Country flag
Well the budget is low due to economic impact of corona. So it's a good decision to upgrade BMPs.

Ficv and fmbt can be revived 4-5 yeras later when economy is robust and budget is higher.

Private sector should be ready with production standard prototypes in this period.
Are the private sector minting money out of sand to invest in FICV or FMBT program if there is no commitment for RFP, forget even the firm orders? What would compel them to develop prototypes when OFB is already in place to grab the whole pie?

It's better to not announce such an ambitious programs like F-INSAS, FICV, etc. if you are not going to follow it up later. It also highlights that somebody is grabbing undue career progression by selling fake dreams/vision to higher ups & the common public Ultimately, it terribly affects the credibility of the institutions .
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

Articles

Top