Indian Army Plans To Buy 300 High-altitude Rough Terrain Vehicles

The Indian Army plans to purchase 300 indigenous logistics rough terrain vehicles that can be used for load transportation and casualty evacuation in medium to high-altitude areas, according to the officials familiar with the matter.

The army will use the emergency procurement fast-track procedure to purchase highly mobile, multi-configurable wheeled vehicles, officials said.

The news comes amid a lingering standoff with the Chinese army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, with tensions spreading into the eastern sector as well.

The army said in a request for proposal (RFP) seeking prospective bidders on Tuesday that these vehicles should be helicopter transportable and capable of operating at an altitude of 16,000 feet. According to the RFP, their ability to operate in snow-covered undulating terrain with long endurance makes them ideal for last-mile delivery (LMD) tasks.

The army intends to use these vehicles in temperatures ranging from -20 to +45 degrees Celsius. Another important army requirement is an inbuilt cold engine start system. Furthermore, these vehicles' engine power and range should not be less than 30 HP and 100 Km, respectively. According to officials, these vehicles will be deployed in Ladakh as well as the eastern sector.

Along the border with China, the army is rapidly upgrading its capability with a variety of weapons and systems such as artillery guns, swarm drone systems capable of carrying out offensive missions in enemy territory, longer-range rockets, remotely piloted aerial systems and high-mobility protected vehicles, while also developing light tanks for mountain warfare and futuristic infantry combat vehicles (FICVs).

According to the RFP, the new logistics rough terrain vehicles should have a rollover protection system and a service life of at least nine years or 80,000 kilometres. It also describes the product support, engineering support package, spares and operator training. The vehicles must be delivered within 12 months of the contract's signing.

The army's emphasis on combat capability along the contested border with China is part of a larger plan to steadily improve operational readiness to meet any challenge posed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

On 20 December, corps commanders from the two armies met on the Chinese side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point, just 11 days after several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in a clash along the LAC at Yangtse, near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. However, during the 17th round of military talks, there was no sign of progress in resolving the border dispute in the Ladakh sector.