http://www.indefcompany.in/indian-afvs-ifvs.html
The Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) for the Indian Army represents the most ambitious Make in India (MII) project so far with complete designing, development, production and life cycle support to be the responsibility of the selected company.
Though planned under the provisions of the Defence Procurement Procedure 2008 the underlying MII component is evident with principle agencies for development to be selected from the ten to whom the Expression of Interest (EOI) has been issued in July 2015. These include some of the premium private sector companies - Larsen & Toubro (L&T); Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division); Tata Motors; Mahindra & Mahindra; Bharat Forge; Pipavav Defence; Rolta India; Punj Lloyd; Titagarh Wagons and the government owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
The complexity of the project and the criteria laid down in the EOI entails that these companies are now forming consortia to enable participation in the competition. While the OFB has been given a free pass as per the Business Standard, two of the nine private security companies will be finally selected for the project. Business Standard reports that Tata Motors would be bidding along with Bharat Forge with a technology partnership with General Dynamics (GD) maker of the US Army's famous M-1 Abrams tank; and Stryker ICV. Tata Power (SED) will bid on its own whereas L&T and Mahindras are planning a joint bid with technology from UK-based BAE Systems. The OFB is likely to partner with Israeli firms who have developed the Merkava and may be the dark horse given that it does not have to compete in the first stage for selection of the Development Agency.
After experience of the previous EOI in 2012 which did not include the criteria for selection of the DA, Ministry of Defence has now issued details of the same in four categories, Commercial Assessment, Technical Capability Assessment, Critical Technology Assessment and Technical Specification Assessment
Outlining some of the key characteristics the FICV is expected to have advanced operational capabilities with state of the art technologies for operations in plain and desert terrain and will comprise of a family of variants. The trial evaluation will therefore be carried out in the plains and the desert sectors.
The tracked vehicle is expected to have an amphibious Capability with full combat load to be able to carry a crew of three and a stick of minimum eight personnel with combat loads. Transportability for tactical, operational and strategic mobility is anticipated. The principle weapon system is likely to be a fourth generation fire and forget Anti Tank Guided Missile with a range of over 4000 m with Lock on Before Launch (LOBL) or Lock on After Launch (LOAL) capabilities. The selected vendor is likely to be tested in terms of ability to provide technology for the Engine, Armoured protection, Gun and munition, transmission and steering and running gear.
FICV Technology Criteria will be covered in subsequent parts.
Future Combat Systems
The combat systems such as battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles etc, are mobile protected platforms designed to defeat similar systems of the enemy. In future, these combat systems will require all-round protection against various forms of threats namely, enemy tanks, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), armed attack helicopters (AAH) and anti-armour mines etc.
Technological Requirement of Future Combat Systems. The future combat systems including battle tanks and infantry combat vehicles must be highly maneuverable and have enhanced protection against various forms of threats, namely, tanks, anti-tank guided missiles, armed attack helicopters and anti-armour mines. Other technologies which are necessitated so as to enhance the vital ingredients of mobility, lethality and survivability are:-
(a) Mobility. Compact power packs and electro mechanical drives and advanced suspension systems remain the primary concerns. The platform be capable of operating not only on land but also have an amphibious capability.
(b) Lethality. The imperative are:-
(i) Development of electronic guns exceeding muzzle velocities of conventional tubes.
(ii) High velocity Kinetic Energy ammunition along with chemical, High Explosive Anti Tank and thermo-baric munitions/missiles.
(iii) Trajectory Correction munitions systems that would provide enhanced accuracy and lethality.
(iv) Advanced fire control systems.
(c) Survivability. Smaller and more compact armoured vehicles coupled with effective signature management to enhance survivability along with protection and counter-measure systems.
Part II Future Tanks for the Indian Army – Do You Have it in You?
Broad Framework of the Design Competition
While the detailed guidelines and the operational requirements/design philosophy of the FRCV will be articulated later, the broad framework of the proposed Design Competition is as under:
(a) The Design Competition will be open to tank design bureaus/ agencies from within and outside the country, and will be conducted in two stages.
(b) In the first stage, based on the operational requirements and design philosophy given out, participants will submit broad concept designs, giving out the outline configuration and layout of the platform. These will be evaluated and shortlisted by the Design Selection Committee, under the aegis of DGMF.
(c) In the second stage, shortlisted participants will be asked to submit detailed designs of the FRCV platform on a common software platform. The detailed designs will be evaluated by the Design Selection Committee. The best design(s) will be shortlisted in order of innovative design and suitability for Indian Army. The winning design(s) will carry suitable cash prize(s).
(d) The winning design(s) will become the sole property of the Indian Army.
The agency/bureau whose designs are selected will require to continue to work on the project through the prototype and the Limited Series Production (LSP) stages. For this, a separate contract will be drawn. The agency/bureaus participating in this competition will mandatorily have to give an undertaking to this effect while applying for the competition.
Brief Description of FRCV
The FRCV will be a fighting vehicle platform that will be required to conduct sustained continuous operations by day and night in all weather conditions in terrain and temperature ranges obtaining on India’s Western borders.
The design should be modular and compact to enable strategic, operational and battlefield mobility, as also facilitate up-gradation, easy replacement/ repair of assemblies and production of variants. The FRCV platform should enable creation of variants for employment in various operational roles in all terrain by varying its configuration and/ or weight/ armour envelopes.
The agency/bureau whose designs are selected will require to continue to work on the project through the prototype and the Limited Series Production (LSP) stages. For this, a separate contract will be drawn. The agency/bureaus participating in this competition will mandatorily have to give an undertaking to this effect while applying for the competition.
The salient operational characteristics of the FRCV are as under:
(a) Dimensions. The FRCV should be in the `Medium Tank’ category whose physical dimensions should facilitate transportability over existing terrain, in-service military bridges and major civilian infrastructure (including bridges) in the border areas (on either side of the Western border).
(b) Crew. The number of crew members should be such that they can perform their designated tasks, and operate all on-board systems without hindrance and without any overlapping of duties/ responsibilities.
(c) Fire Power.
(i) Should be well matched tp contemporary MBTs in engagement ranges, all- weather day/night fighting capability, depth of penetration and variety of ammunition.
(ii) Should have very high accuracy [High FRHP (First Round Hit Probability)] and very high lethality [High SSKP (Single Shot Kill Probability)], at par with contemporary MBTs.
(d) Protection.
(i) Should provide very high all-round protection, including ballistic, active and any other form of anti-armour technologies, to ensure survivability in the contemporary and future battlefield.
(ii) Should incorporate signature reduction technologies.
(iii) High response evasion/ anti-detection system.
(e) Mobility.
(i) Should have adequately high power-to-weight ratio to enable all on-board systems to be run simultaneously, without disrupting the agility and mobility of the vehicle.
(ii) Should have high operating range, comparable to contemporary MBTs.
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