$12 Billion Project!!! This is Nirmala Sitharaman’s first big move as Defence Minister

Source:-$12 Billion Project!!! This is Nirmala Sitharaman’s first big move as Defence Minister

In the short period that she’s been the first full-time defence minister of the country, Nirmala Sitharaman has shown herself to be proactive and innovative.

She’s been visiting army bases reviewing defence preparedness; she has started a new trend wherein she meets the armed forces chiefs regularly to expedite defence procurement procedures. Now comes her first major move.

A $12-billion project to procure 2,300 Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICV) for the Indian Army has been held up for over a decade. It is now that Nirmala Sitharaman has given the deal a push.

State-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) which has been nominated for the project, along with L&T, Tata Motors, Reliance, Mahindra, and Tata Power SED-Titagarh Wagons had responded to the expression of interest (EoI) in the deal in 2015.

The FICV will be a tracked, lightly armoured, off-road vehicle that can zoom over sand dunes or across a river. Operated by a three-man crew — a commander, a driver and a gunner — it will also carry seven fully equipped infantrymen into battle protecting them while they are aboard from bullets and shrapnel. The FICV’s strike power — an anti-tank missile; a rapid-fire cannon; a 7.62 mm machine gun; and a grenade launcher — will enable it to destroy enemy tanks, ICVs, missile carriers, attack helicopters and infantry.

It will transport infantry soldiers into the battlefield behind tanks. They will replace the old Russian -origin BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, currently used by the Indian Army.

Army stricken that the FICV should be transported into Il 76 and C 17. Which means the IFV must be lighter than some 25 Tons. The FICV also capable to fire anti tank guided missiles through it’s external mounts for anti tank missions.
The FICV will also comes with a remotely operated 30 mm cannon, sometimes Nexter 40 mm cannon too be used for larger fire power, along with a anti personnel 7.62mm HMG, and twin anti tank missile launchers. It will be a 22-24 tonne vehicle with the strike power of a 45 tonne main battle tank (MBT).

Additional protection systems include, 360 degree view thermal imagery and vision systems, composite armour, which can able to withstand from large caliber bullets, and soft kill mechanism to spoof off the infrared guided missiles, smoke and other countermeasure systems.
The army’s insistence on an amphibious FICV constitutes a key design challenge. The generals believe an ability to quickly swim across rivers would be a battle-winning ability in the riverine Punjab plains.

 

While the delivery of FICV shall be in a phased manner once the prototype is successfully validated, approximately 2,610 such systems or upgraded systems shall be procured by the MoD. The prototype would subject to a comprehensive evaluation process under operational conditions as per user requirements. Details of evaluation process would be spelt out during DPR stage. FICV will replace the existing BMP2/2K of the Mechanical Infantry units in a phased manner by MoD after successful validation of prototypes. These prototypes would be evaluated for their performance in plain and desert terrain.

It is now being reported that Nirmala Sitharaman has sought details of the project. Further, the matter will come up before the Defence Procurement Board on September 26. Speculations are ripe that the defence minister may bring up the project when she meets US Secretary of Defence James Mattis in the coming days. Even Russia seems keen to clinch the deal through the OFB. This deal is crucial for the modernisation of the army and Nirmala Sitharaman seems intent on taking the deal through.

It will be slow going

One of the key reasons why the project had been facing inordinate delays is the lack of adequate design. Since this is a brand-new platform, it will take a couple of years just to come up with a a detailed project report, following which a prototype has to be developed. All these will require initial investments worth about $25 million, according to industry sources.

“Even if the project were to start today, it will take several years to be finished. The first platform will only be ready in 10 years. This is a new design for everyone,” said an industry player eyeing the deal.

Held up for over a decade

The FICV project has been pending for over a decade now for various reasons, including bureaucratic procedures, corporate infighting and failure to appoint a credible developmental agency.

The Modi government has taken significant steps to replenish the armed forces that weren’t only troubled from outdated weapons and vehicles but even a lack of basic ammunition.

Some major defence deals signed by this government include – 22 AH-64 Apache helicopters, 15 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, 145 M777 Howitzer guns, buying frigates and leasing more nuclear submarines from Russia. Apart from this, India is looking for both surveillance and attack drones from America, and hunting for a 5th generation fighter jet. After decades of ignoring the needs of the forces by the Congress-led UPA, India is finally on the path to modernising its forces under this NDA government.

 

 

 

Source:- Post Card

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