Earlier this month, the Army also issued an RFI for procurement of Future Ready Combat Vehicles, which will be the main battle tanks in future.
The Army on Thursday issued a tender – Request For Information (RFI) – for the procurement of 1,750 Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs) to replace Russian-origin infantry vehicles in service.
Earlier this month, the Army also issued an RFI for procurement of Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs), which will be the main battle tanks in future.
“The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, intends to procure an approximate 1,750 quantities of Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (Tracked) in three versions,” the RFI said. Of the total quantity, approximately 55% should be gun version, 20% has to be command version and 25% has to be command and surveillance version.
Vendors interested to participate in this project have been asked to express their willingness within a week.
“A three-stage induction model has been proposed by the Army, and Indian vendors can collaborate with Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to supply FICVs within two years of the contract at the rate of 75-100 vehicles per year,” one officer said.
According to the RFI, the FICVs will be employed for cross-country operations, including amphibious operations in plain and desert terrain along Western borders and high altitudes, up to 5000m, and mountain terrain along the northern borders in eastern Ladakh, the central sector and north Sikkim. They will replace the 1980s vintage Russian-origin BMP-2.
This RFI was issued to finalise Service Quality Requirements, decide procurement category and identify probable Indian vendors with capability to commence supply of the vehicles within two years of award of contract.
The main operational tasks that will have to performed by the FICVs are to destroy enemy tanks, armoured personnel carriers, combat vehicles, low-flying helicopters and other ground-based weapon platforms and positions and also offer mobility to its crew and troops as well as provide fire support to dismounted troops.
The vehicles should have a service or operational life of at least 32 years with maximum one overhaul and repair, the RFI stated.
The FICVs should be modular in design, enabling future upgrades through simple modifications and to facilitate subsequent development of the family of armoured fighting vehicles such as command-control vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, armoured ambulances, mortar carriers, command post vehicles, reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles, NBC reconnaissance vehicles, engineer reconnaissance vehicles and armoured recovery vehicles, among others.
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