New Delhi has launched an acquisition program for 159 bulletproof troop carriers in support of the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles counterinsurgency arm deployed in the country’s northeastern region.
Rashtriya Rifles was established in the 1990s to heighten security across the mountainous areas of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, which border parts of China and Pakistan.
A request for information released by the service aims at the supply of approximately 60 platforms per year once a contract is awarded, according to local media.
Meanwhile, associated processes should align with the South Asian government’s “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives, promoting sovereignty in local industry and cutting dependence on overseas suppliers.
Planned Specifications
India said that the vehicles, required in 4×4 configurations, must balance mobility and protection while carrying limited payloads, including weapons, ammunition, and communications equipment.
The government specified road speeds of 80 to 100 kilometers (50 to 62 miles) per hour and off-road speeds of 50 to 75 kilometers (31 to 47 miles) per hour, with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) in rugged terrain and 350 kilometers (217 miles) on flatlands.
The armored platforms must also operate at altitudes up to 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) and in temperatures ranging from negative 10 to 40 degrees Celsius (14 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), including snow-bound areas.
Additionally, New Delhi requires the vehicles with “limited firing capability” through firing ports and roof-mounted machine guns, allowing troops to maintain lethality while protected from threats.
