Amid the continuing India-China deadlock at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Army has initiated the process of procuring around 800 light-armoured multipurpose vehicles (LAMV) for deploying them along the northern borders, particularly in the mountainous terrains and snow-bound areas of eastern Ladakh and north Sikkim, for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks and for electronic warfare when needed.
In a request for information (RFI) published on Friday, the Army said that the vehicles will be procured from Indian vendors and preferably those that have been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. The vendors, it said, should be able to deliver the projects within three years of the award of the contract, with 300 deliveries per year.
Aside from the northern borders, the vehicles will also be deployed in the plains and deserts along India’s western borders with Pakistan. They will be employed by the recce and surveillance platoons of mechanised infantry and recce troops of the armoured regiments.
What is expected
As per the RFI, the vehicles should be adequately mobile and provide the requisite protection for troops on board, while they are engaged in recce and constant surveillance—using battlefield surveillance radars and thermal imagers and by way of integrating high-tech drones—for gathering intelligence.
They also should be able to carry the battle loads, which could include weapons, ammunition, surveillance, and communication equipment for various operational tasks.
The RFI has put forth two different versions of the LAMVs with separate technical parameters—one is the basic version and the second an advanced one.
The advanced version should have an integrated surveillance and targeting system, which could include a surveillance drone and a loitering munition to strike targets, as well as a continuous unmanned tied surveillance system.
Why the vehicles are required
The requirement of a major number of LAMVs comes amid an increased need for sharper and accurate surveillance at the northern borders, with additional deployment of traditional and latest surveillance equipment at the LAC.
Explaining the significance of the procurement, defence officials said that the recce and surveillance platoons of mechanised infantry and recce troops of the armoured regiments operate ahead of the columns.
“They are the eyes and ears of the mechanised infantry battalions and armoured regiments and are tasked with gathering intelligence on enemy tank and infantry combat vehicle buildup,” an official explained.
The official said that so far there were no specific armoured vehicles for the troops carrying out this specialised task, so there was a long-pending requirement to procure them.
“They used to operate in other vehicles. But, there was a need to have these specifically configured vehicles armed with advanced technology to meet the operational tasks of the troops of mechanised infantry battalions and armoured regiments,” a second official said. “The situation at the northern borders could have been the latest trigger.”
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