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SOURCE: IDRW.ORG

In an effort to bolster the defensive capabilities of its armored units, the Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the procurement of Active Protection Systems (APS) for its fleet of T-90S Bhishma tanks. With a focus on enhancing survivability against modern threats, the Army is looking to integrate systems that provide both soft-kill and hard-kill countermeasures against a variety of threats including Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), Kinetic Energy (KE) rounds, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).

Soft-kill Measures include multispectral smoke grenades and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) jammers aimed at blinding or confusing incoming missiles, particularly those that use Semi-Active Command Line of Sight (SACLOS) guidance, which makes up around 70% of current missile threats.

Hard-kill Measures involve kinetic countermeasures designed to physically destroy or deflect incoming projectiles, offering protection against RPGs, ATGMs, and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. The system must also have the potential to upgrade for countering KE projectiles like Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) rounds.

The RFI emphasizes that the chosen APS should not hinder the tank’s mobility, particularly in India’s diverse operational environments, including high-altitude regions. This requirement underscores the necessity for a system that adapts to the challenging topography where Indian tanks often operate.

The urgency for such upgrades has been partly inspired by observations from the ongoing Ukraine conflict, where Russian tanks have occasionally been equipped with the ‘Shtora’ APS. However, more advanced systems like ‘Arena’ and ‘Afghanit’ (the latter on Russia’s T-14 Armata) have not been widely deployed. These systems are particularly designed to counter top-attack threats, which are increasingly common with missiles like the Javelin.

Notably, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has already begun developing an indigenous APS, indicating a dual approach by the Indian military to enhance tank survivability through both domestic innovation and international collaboration.

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