Indian Army to Break up Future Soldier Program into Two Parts

The Indian Army has decided to junk the Future Infantry Soldier As a System (F-INSAS) program in favor of two separate projects.

The new program will have two components: one arming the modern infantry soldier with the best available assault rifle, carbines and personal equipment such as the helmet and bulletproof vests and the second component is the Battlefield Management Systems (BMS).

Observers say that the bifurcation has been done on account of the budgetary convenience.

In the BMS category goes all the communication and optical equipment of a modern soldier which includes palm-top communication equipment and the helmet mounted cameras. The assault weapon field trials are going on: there are four kinds, Baretta (Italy), Colt (USA), Bren (Czech) and Tavor (Israel). The last has already been chosen for Indian Special Forces.

Vice Chief of Army staff, Lt General Philip Campose, told our correspondent at the end of the media interaction, “There is no F-INSAS program any more”.

He detailed how the army adopted the program in a way that keeps the infantry soldier less burdened by technology, and more agile to carry out his tasks.