Indian Army Issues RFI For Future Ready Combat Vehicle

The Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to design and develop a new generation combat vehicle platform called the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV).

The RFI issued last week is for the development of a base platform for the Main Battle Tank which is planned to replace the existing T-72 tanks in the Armored Corps. It is also planned to subsequently develop other need-based variants on this platform.

The FRCV and its variants are expected to populate the Indian Army's Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) fleet for induction by 2025-27. This fighting vehicle needs to be developed on a modular concept as part of a family of combat vehicles. 

As per the RFI document, “A Combat Platform design must cater for ‘future’ battlefield environment and technological possibilities. To address the future battlefield scenario and the envisaged force profile in the coming years, the FRCV needs to be developed on a modular concept with a high degree of flexibility in a manner that, as a tank platform, it can address the varying requirements of different terrain configurations.”

It should also provide the base on which a ‘Family of Vehicles’, catering to the operational needs of various arms of the Army, can be developed.

The following variants are planned to be developed on the FRCV platform: Tracked Main Battle Tank - Primary variant. Tracked Light Tank, Wheeled Version, Bridge Layer Tank (BLT), Trawl Tank and Mine Ploughs, Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV), Self Propelled Artillery Gun/Howitzer, Air Defense Gun/Msl System, Artillery Observation Post Vehicle,  Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle and  Armored Ambulance.

The FRCV will be a fighting vehicle platform that will be required to conduct sustained continuous operations by day and night in all weather conditions in terrain and temperature ranges obtaining on India’s Western borders.