India's Future Main Battle Tank, NGMBT

[Kunal Biswas]

In a platoon now days, Soldiers have VTOL surveillance drones, compact enough to be backpacked and can be deployed at secs notice, Such drones fly off in search of enemy troops, when they are found the Drone operator send out the coordinates to an near by Mortar outpost to shell the locations, In future we will have armed UAV which will be net-centric with other fire support units if needed for bigger bang..

Similarly VTOL Drones can be deployed from a Tank platoon, Where tank will have its own drones from surveillance, These drone can use for long range surveillance on enemy Anti-tank defenses and tanks. Then can call for fire-support from Arty / MRLS or Armed drones equipped with AGMs, This tactics can soften enemy defense before assaulting there ground area ..

Well, robots are usefull, but IMHO we should not go further than engineer support drones and logistic drones. Armed drones are something that should be banned worldwide.

 

[cobra commando]

Chennai based CVRDE to design futuristic tank

 

[Shaitan]

Visited CVRDE,AVADI as a part of a industry visit. privileged to have met cuurent scientists and director sivakumar.
Lots of info on FMBT(NGV),1500hp,1000hp engine,engine,arjun mk2 ,sorry no pics no mobiles were allowed inside ,only 2 official pics with arjun which I will post later.I can answer questions if any on these topics as I also sat in drivers,commanders,gunners compartment also drove simulator.
Design of FMBT is being evolved but requirements still not finalized.

FMBT:
1.Weight being looked at 55ton.
2.Crew propably 4 but bustle mounted autoloader migt be considered by the army.
3.Will be a bottom heavy tank to takle the greater threat of IEDs,mines.
4.120mm smoothbore with missile firing capability,it will also have a muzzle brake which was absent in arjun gun.
5.Semi active hydrogas and active (doubts still there on increased complexity),may be by additional magnetic or electro or electromagnetic damping.
6. Mature systems of arjun mk2 such as COAPs,remote weapon station,detection avoidance system,hydrogas suspension.
7. To have integrated power pack with automatic transmission,transmission mounted radiator.
8.New DRDO APS, more compact NBC,software defined radio for inter crew communication.
9. They also had some design pictures ,turret looked more like atlay.
10.Passive dynamic armour to be increasingly used.
11.For FSAPDS the Heavy Alloy Penetrator project(HAPP) project is going on but more info on ammo are not let out much.
12.A huge virtual reality centre coming up for rapid prototyping and design.
13. 3D printing is also being looked at.

FICV:
1.Design paramters being set by DRDO.
2.Will done based onexperience from WHAP'kestrel' but the process is on hold with MOD now.
3.End evaluation of technolgy will also be done by DRDO.
4.Abhay composite hull concept might be used but even scientists are sceptical on complete composite hulls maturity.

From holysaturn

 

[Shaitan]

FMBT Design (not frozen, early concept)


Credit to holysaturn

 

[karn]

>Bustle mounted autoloader ...
>4 man crew
>125 mm L 52
Is is this fan made or do they have no clue what the FMBT will look like ...

 

[mehrotraprince]

FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

FMBT: Early Design Concept

Note: Source BR Forum

 

[Ray]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

What is this about?
@Kunal

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Sir, Indeed FMBT design, In early days ( 2010-2012 ) it used to be said the Gun was 125mm and the main gun rounds will be one piece ..

 

[Pulkit]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

have we already labelled it "foreign" before proceeding further .If not then we must otherwise it will also never clear trials and if it does will never be accepted .

Sir, Indeed FMBT design, In early days ( 2010-2012 ) it used to be said the Gun was 125mm and the main gun rounds will be one piece ..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

DGMF is more interested in MK3 of Arjun than a brand new tank FMBT ..

have we already labelled it "foreign" before proceeding further .If not then we must otherwise it will also never clear trials and if it does will never be accepted .

 

[Pulkit]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

DGMF is more interested in MK3 of Arjun than a brand new tank FMBT ..

Won't that lead too more confusion.

Having two concepts is good.

Its just me or many others who feel that MK3 or FMBT what ever it is IA will be rejecting it to favour some other foreign tin can?

Personally FMBT at the moment is not as realistic as ArjunMK3 *


*:Army: Oooont kis karwat baithega kisi ko nai pata.

 

[Pulkit]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

@Kunal Biswas in your personal opinion what is your choice?
What is your wish list ?

 

[blueblood]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Looks pretty good but why 125 mm? IA is supposed to induct more ~ 2000 units so commonality with other tanks goes out of the window, especially in Indian scenario and 125 mm prevents IA from inducting superior ammo from the west.

Arjun Mk3, could be very good but I personally would like to have a clean slate design and thus give no quarter to the Army to go Ivan on country's economy and defence procurement.

 

[Kay]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Crew - 4, weight - 50 ton. How?

 

[Illusive]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Do we have a programme for light tanks?

 

[karn]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Crew - 4, weight - 50 ton. How?

Better question autoloader + 4 man crew ... how

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Re: FMBT: Early Design Concept ??

Not wish, But logical ..

Arjun is a proved platform, Design based on has better chance for quick induction and trails just like MK2, Above that Army already in process of establishing Arjun based workshop and overhaul facilities which is a very expensive and time consuming ..

Doing same for FMBT will take no less than 20 years at increased logistic chain ..

@Kunal Biswas in your personal opinion what is your choice?
What is your wish list ?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

According to recent specifications :

So, Avinash Chander says that DRDO is working on a 2 man crew FMBT.

Features:
> 2 man cockpit of fighter aircraft to be ported into the tank for situation awareness and weapon management system.
> Glass/digital cockpit for driver and commander stations
> Fully automated turret
> Much smaller dimensions (I guess similar to the Sherman/T55 dimensions)
> Much lower weight (I guess in the 40 ton class) due to reduced size
> Much higher armor protection due to reduced size
> Powered by 1500hp diesel engine and transmission currently being developed under a National Mission

 

[karn]

According to recent specifications :

So, Avinash Chander says that DRDO is working on a 2 man crew FMBT.

Features:
> 2 man cockpit of fighter aircraft to be ported into the tank for situation awareness and weapon management system.
> Glass/digital cockpit for driver and commander stations
> Fully automated turret
> Much smaller dimensions (I guess similar to the Sherman/T55 dimensions)
> Much lower weight (I guess in the 40 ton class) due to reduced size
> Much higher armor protection due to reduced size
> Powered by 1500hp diesel engine and transmission currently being developed under a National Mission

That interview is not very recent . I think DRDO is developing different components that may be used in a future tank .. They are doing this to be prepared for army specifications .
I just think we wont see firmed up FMBT design until the armata is revealed (just my hunch)

 

[Shaitan]

FMBT Design (not frozen, early concept)


Credit to holysaturn

This is a rather recent design, because the commandor sight is the new IRDE commander sight.