Light Chariot Heavy Punch

sought to match the payload capacity of Russian sources, a better variant of it is being IAF transport aircraft as well as to maintain developed where a new modified chassis will amphibious capability. It will be a modular be mated with the latest 2A46-M5 gun thus design, two (or three) crew platform. The enhancing the firepower significantly. Just main armaments hasn’t been specified but for reference, it is the same gun used by the it must be capable of firing smart anti- advanced T-90MS. ammunition and anti-tank guided Another potential offer can be from missiles. It must have automotive gun Hanwha Defense of South Korea. It has Sprut SD control system with auto-loader. There a 105 mm rifled gun with Cockerill XC-8 will be multiple secondary armaments turret on a K-21 infantry fighting vehicle he Indian Army released an RFI including a remote control weapon system chassis. This version weighs just 25T and is on 22 April for the procurement capable to neutralise various grounds and a three man crew platform. Moreover, the of 350 light in a phased aerial threats including UAVs and PGMs. gun can fire Falarick 105 anti-tank guided manner.T It is not the first of such kind. The modular design will allow upgrades missile at a range of 5 km and can defeat up Some years ago another RFI was released for of armaments according to necessity. The to 550 mm of rolled homogeneous armour. the procurement of both the wheeled and platform must have ERA coverage for the DRDO is supposed to be working with tracked version, but this time exclusively protection against HEAT warheads. And L&T to develop two different platforms tracked is desired, though later a to augment further protection, an Active optimizing the K-9 chassis. The first option wheeled version might be procured as well. Protection System with Soft Kill and Hard will see a 34T platform with 105 mm rifled India was engaged in a serious stand-off with Kill capability is desired. The vehicle will be gun with Cockerill modular turret. While which months ago attempted to usurp equipped with CBRN protection, IFDSS the second option explores opportunity by swathe of Indian land with brute force. The and CABIS enhancing crew survivability. mating 125 mm smoothbore gun to have ongoing disengagement process has done a ECM and ECCM will protect the platform a 38T ‘beast’. Prototypes will be readied in little to decrease the tension between the from electronic attack. The power to weight three years while production rate is expected two Asian giants. The deployed ratio must be at least 25:1 hp/t. to be 100 per year. various armoured vehicles including light Currently there are only a few But as the new RFI was released, it is tanks to make a psychological impact on manufacturers capable of manufacturing obvious there will be now some significant deployed Indian Armed Forces. To counter light tanks. Most notable of them is ’s changes in the project. In the past a home Chinese deployment India wants similar Plant which makes grown platform was developed by placing platform to have an edge in any future the famous Sprut SD light tank. This is GIAT 105 mm turret on BMP-2 chassis. confrontation. unarguably the lightest tank currently But it couldn’t convince the army at Though the Type-96A is the mainstay available anywhere around the world. that time. This time, facing an adversary, of the PLA armoured concentration and With just 18T weight it carries a 125 mm superior in both technology and numerical Type-99A1, unarguably the best tank smoothbore gun and provide the same strength, India is trying to cover the gap currently deployed in Tibet, it was the light firepower of T-72 ! With as fast as possible. As modernisation of the Type-15 tank which gave China potential 510 hp water cooled diesel engine and hydro- armoured forces is in full swing, the Indian advantages in some areas. Unlike the main pneumatic suspension it has an excellent Army is hoping to dominate the heights battle tank, the light tank to be deployed mobility as well as credible amphibious by Light chariots with Heavy punch! in such terrain where the opponent has capability. The platform is based on BMD- least chance to counter it. At high altitude, 3 chassis which is a light air transportable Sankalan Chattopadhyay where a main battle tank can’t be deployed infantry fighting vehicle. According to some (Twitter @vinoddx9) due to narrow navigable terrain and limited air transportability, the Indian Army best could deploy BMP-II Sarath which is infact an infantry combat vehicle and can’t match the sheer fire power of the Type-15 and Type-88A. The desired platform has to be a 25T vehicle. The platform must be deployable in the high altitude as well as in the desert and light enough for rapid overseas deployment. The IAF uses two heavy transport aircraft, the Il-76MD and C-17 Globemaster III. K-21-105 It is obvious the weight category has been

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