The Indian Army is moving to firm up the criteria for a possible Request For Proposal for light tanks. Significantly, the Army is to issue a supplementary Request For Information (RFI) asking for more information on light tanks, following up on an initial RFI that was issued in October last year.

The army held a collegiate meeting earlier in May this year and decided to ask for more specific details from the eight vendors who responded to the RFI with, apparently, ‘generic information’.

The army thinks this will allow them to conduct a better analysis of the technology available in global markets as well as in formulation of a practical and realistic GSQR (General Staff Qualitative Requirements).

Media reports last year had indicated a move by the army to acquire light tanks for deployment in mountainous terrain in Jammu and Kashmir and on the eastern borders with China.

The initial RFI had indicated an interest in the acquisition of 200 wheeled and 100 tracked advanced light armored vehicles. Significantly, it had also asked of potential vendors as to whether the vehicle offered would be capable of operating in an urban environment.

The Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for Man Portable Air Defense (MANPAD) Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) missile systems.

The RFI, issued last week, asks for detailed information about the systems available regarding their range, speed, reaction time, warhead capability and transportability.

The RFI also inquires about the whether the available systems have target seeking capabilities, multi-launcher capabilities and deployability from high mobility vehicles and naval vessels, including submarines as well as in all kinds of harsh terrain. The army is also keen that the system have the capability to be easily knocked down for ease of transport and para-dropped.

The army requires day and night sight capability, target detection and tracking and a Command, Control and Communication (C3) system for ‘detecting, processing and engaging aerial targets’.