Indian Army issues RFI for 350 ‘light tanks'

The Indian Army (IA) has invited responses from overseas and domestic vendors by 18 June to a request for information (RFI) regarding its planned procurement of 350 locally manufactured ‘light tanks’ for deployment in assorted terrain.

In the document the IA states that the vehicles are to be procured in a “phased manner” under the ‘Make in India’ category of the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP 2020).

According to the RFI, which was issued to local vendors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on 23 April, the shortlisted vendor will retain ownership of the tank’s design and technologies to further the Indian government’s push to achieve materiel self-reliance.

The vendor, which will be designated ‘Indian Development Agency’ (IDA), will also be required to provide performance-based logistics for the tanks, an engineering support package, and training to operating and maintenance crews.

According to the RFI, the proposed vehicles are required to have a crew of 2–3 people, weigh no more than 25 tons, and use a modular design. The mobility requirements state that the vehicle must be portable by existing rail, road, air, and water transports, and be capable of operating in cold temperatures at high altitudes and across desert and humid regions, as well as on soft soils.

An amphibious capability was listed as desirable, but not as a firm requirement.

The RFI also states that the vehicle must have an automatically loaded gun (or gun-launcher) capable of high elevation angles and of deploying gun-launched anti-tank guided missiles as well as an alternative calibre armament capable of engaging aircraft. In addition, the IA has requested the provision of a jamming system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a remote weapon station.