SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In June 2021, the Indian Army issued a request for information (RFI) on the planned procurement of 1,750 units of indigenously developed, amphibious tracked FICVs and Vendors who did not respond to the June 2021 RFI were given till 1 March 2023 deadline to express an interest.
The Indian Army announced on December 22, 2022, that an acceptance of necessity had been granted for the procurement of new Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (Tracked), confirming that prototype trials after completion of TEC will begin in 36 months and L1 and L2 vendors will receive a 60:40 split order quantity for manufacturing of 1,750 units.
idrw.org has been told that owning intellectual property (IP) of the FICV by the local firm that has sent their bids along with the partnership with a foreign vendor will require the local firm to make design changes or evolve their design to own IP rights as mandated by the Indian Army Requirments.
India’s state-run Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) has promised to roll out its own FICV prototype by 2024 powered by a 600 hp engine with an automatic transmission that can carry 3 crew with 8 soldiers and is armed with a Manned turret (un-manned turret as EPP) with FCS, fire & forget top-attack ATGMs, automatic 30mm cannon calibre, co-axial machine gun and a stabilised RCWS with 12.7mm machine gun.
Private firm L&T Defenc already has selected Allison Transmission 3040 MX propulsion solution for its FICV prototype and Tata Motors has signed a strategic agreement with Bharat Forge Limited and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) of the US to bring a highly evolved AJAX Armoured Fighting Vehicle. Two more Indian Private players also have shown interest in the program.
FICV on offer should have a minimum of 50% indigenous content on the cost basis of the total contract value and Project FICV being accorded a funding ratio of 80:20 MoD and industry.
According to the Army’s new RFI, approximately 55% of the total number of FICVs will be the “gun version,” with the remainder being specialist vehicles equipped with mini-drones and kamikaze drones.
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