Description. ILT with capability to act as a multiple weapon platform along with infusion of niche technology will obviate the current capability deficiency and will enhance overall operational effectiveness index of the Indian Army (IA) and cater for emerging threats by flexible use of equipment in varied terrain. The ILT is envisaged to be as lethal and survivable as the current tanks and will have major mobility advantage to be employed majorly in High Altitude Areas and Marginal Terrain. ILTs with superior mobility, all terrain agility, multi-layered protection, precision lethal firepower, real time situational awareness duly integrating available niche technology will offer multiple options for rapid operational employment enabling the IA to execute operations across the entire continuum of conflict against diverse threat and equipment profile of the adversaries.
Proposal. A battle tank is a system of systems and is a fusion of apex technologies existing in the realm of land systems. The project for the ILT will provide a unique opportunity to the Indigenous Defence Industry to come together and realise a truly ‘Designed and Developed in India’ battle system as a national effort. It will enable India to join the league of select nations possessing this capability. It will also help to build research and manufacturing capabilities for future projects like the FRCV, FICV apart from the technological spinoffs benefitting a host of civil/dual use applications. The Ministry of Defence, GoI, intends to procure 354 Light Tanks.
BROAD TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
The broad technical parameters are as given below. The same would be further elaborated in the Project Definition Document (PDD).
Specification
(a) Basic Configuration
(i) Combat Weight not to exceed 25+10% Tons.
(ii) Transportable by in service aircraft, ships, rail and road infrastructure.
(iii) Crew – three (03).
(b) Fire Power & Lethality
(i) Main Gun. 105mm and above calibre.
(ii) Elevation Depression. Elevation minimum 20°and Depression minimum 10°through the Traverse of 360°.
(iii) Anti-TankGuided Missile (ATGM). Capable of firing a 3rdorhighergeneration ATGM preferably a Gun Tube Launched ATGM.
(iv) Lethality.
(aa) KE Ammunition.Defeat 500mm RHA target at 2000m at 60°angle of attack.
(ab) CE Ammunition.Defeat 800mm RHA target at 2000m at 60°angle of attack.
(ac) ATGM. Defeat 800mmRHA target at5000m.
(c) Survivability
(i) Active Protection System (APS).
(aa) Essential - Soft Kill, Desirable - Hard Kill.
(ab) Cater for countermeasures to varied threats incl top attack.
(ii) Passive Protection.
(aa) Frontal 60⁰ Arc – Protection equivalent to 600mm RHAe.
(ab) All round including Top and Bottom – STANAG level 3.
(ac) Hybrid / Composite armour protection against top attack munitions.
(ad) Modular Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).
(iii) Electronics. Offensive and defensive Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) and Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM).
(iv) Missile Warning System. LASER Warning System with Directional smoke dispenser as Counter Measure.
(v) Signature Management. Suppress Audio, Visual, Thermal and Electromagnetic (EM) Signatures by at least 25%.
(vi) Counter RPA and Anti Drone
(d) Mobility
(i) P/W Ratio. Not less than 30 HP/Ton.
(ii) Nominal Ground Pressure (NGP). Not exceeding 0.7 Kg/Cm².
(iii) Operational Range. 300Km in cross country and 450 Km on road.
(e) Communication
(i) Software Defined Radio.
(ii) Multi format communication – Voice, data, multimedia.
(iii) Hands free internal communication for crew.
(f) Situational Awareness
(i) Hybrid Inertial/GPS Navigation System.
(ii) Integration with Battle Field Management System.
(iii) Situational Awareness through Drones.
(iv) Blue Force Tracker on a digital map background.
(g) Force Multipliers
(i) Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISATS) for Mechanised Forces.
(ii) Drone Support / Control Capability.
(iii) Anti-Drone / Counter RPA Capability.
(h) Other Capabilities
(i) Vetronics and Predictive vehicle maintenance system.
(ii) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).
(iii) Preheater.
(iv) Environment Control Unit.
(v) Embedded Training Modules.
Indigenous Content (IC) / Categorisation. Successful development under Make-I would result in acquisition, from successful Development Agency (DA), through the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ category with indigenous design and Development and a minimum of 50% IC.
Source and Date
Further to the RFI uploaded on the MoD Website on 23 Apr 2021. The Project for Procurement of the Indian Light Tank (ILT) has now been accorded ‘Approval in Principle’ to be progressed under the Make-I Category
[Compiled from Request for Information issued by Integrated HQ Ministry of Defence Government of India by Ms Harshita Singh].