Ministry plans to reissue the MANPAD Tender

Ministry plans to reissue the MANPAD Tender

   The Defense ministry plans to re issues a tender to procure man portable air defense systems for the Indian Army. As first the RFI issued in early 2010. Following with weapon system trails in Indian conditions which include high altitude winters and hot weather trails in Mahajan Range. Indian Army almost short listed the Russian Igla S system and forced to perform some tough trials include live air interception. The Results are varied since it failed to hit the target Multiple times.

    It's back in 2012, Indian Army invited the Russian Igla S demonstration team to perform live interception. The firing trails started in Mahajan range, The Igla S failed to perform to meet Army criteria. The Igla S Scored only one shot out of four firings. Then Army plans to start the sea trails. where two shots fired only one hits the target. Army told the Russians to repeat the trails giving a chance to Russians to perform better in next time.

    During the next trials, Igla S Managed to hit all targets, four targets set for interceptions, and all of them destroyed, However Army find issues in the sights in cold trails, And the Army evaluation team suggested the Russians to modify the Sight lens, Receiver metrics and it's software's. Army gives another chance to Russians to prove the capability of Igla S later 2013.

    During 2012, USA offered it's Stinger missiles to Indian MANPAD tender. This forced the Indians to re evaluate the entire contract. India asked the US firm to provide know how technology and asks co producing those units in India. US denied the Indian offer and that's the closure of 2010 RFI.

Stinger MANPAD

    After pressures from the armed forces, Ministry once again floated the MANPAD tender, This time too the same companies who participated earlier comes again. The new tender added one more condition that's the Transfer of Technology and most of the Firing units could be produced in Indian private companies only.

    The trails once again conducted in the same place and results also same, However Army didn't published the actual test results. However the companies who offered the MANPAD systems find difficulty's in the tender. The contenders like Russian Rosboronexport who offered the Igla S, France MBDA who offered the Mistral and the Sweden SAAB who offered RBS 70 NG found there is a lack of transparency in the procurement process. As clearly Indian government wants the technology of the MANPAD's. While the foreigners are not ready to share with Indian Companies.

    The above Reason makes the Second RFI also withdrawn, due to the above known issues. Earlier the French MBDA teamed up with Larson and Tubro, and the SAAB joined with state owned PSU Bharath  Electronics. They were ready to produce those systems in Indian companies while they didn't provide critical technologies like seekers and firing guidance systems.

    This time government stricken the procurement plans under Indian vendors only, Which means 100% of Make in India. This also pave the way to compete new private defense companies like Punj Lloyd and Bharath Forge. Under this new RFI the Armed forces buy entire missiles systems from an Indian company.

    Foreign companies who makes the MANPAD's teamed up with Indian vendors may compete in the RFI. The government short list the low price vendor as L1 bidder, and start negotiate for procurement. Indian government ink contract with only Indian companies who also have stakes in foreign companies who offered the MANPAD's. As simply MBDA and L&T jointly proposes the Mistral missile and Army impressed with the performance and price tag. The contract goes to L&T and L&T makes those Missiles in Indian plants.

Mistral MANPAD

   Indian Army currently using decade old early model of Russian Igla MANPAD systems. Those systems are running behind the schedule. Army wants a man-portable system weighing less than 25 kilograms with fire-and-forget capability. Other Army requirements include a capability of engaging aerial targets day or night with an effective range of 6 kilometers.

   As per the RFI of MANPADs in 2010, Of the 5,175 missiles and associated equipment sought under the 2010 tender, 2,315 missiles were to be delivered fully assembled and 1,260 partially assembled, with 1,000 missiles to be assembled entirely in India and 600 to be made at Indian facilities.  Associated equipment includes launchers, sensors, thermal imaging sights, and command-and-control units.

Indian Army Basic Fire Arm issue

Indian Army Basic Fire Arm issue 

Indian Army Para Commandos with TAR 21

      It's been addressed many times, even the last UPA regime and current BJP government, But still the Army using decades old AK series for Counter insurgency and faulty INSAS for conventional warfare. since problems in such fire arms the government bought only some numbers of modern assault rifles specially for special forces, those models include M 4 and TAR 21 models,

      And the army went for buy modern rifles from abroad, since the Indian versions still lacks the quality and manufacturing, Army shortlisted four international vendors and tested their models, but unfortunately all four failed in the High altitude conditions Janes reported. and the effective trails of multi caliber infantry weapon system  also put on forward, the Army also looking to place additional order of TAR rifles which were produced under license,

       So far Indian Army has more than  one million active soldiers. which divided into some 350+ battalions each comprising some 800 Soldiers, battalions also divided into four companies comprising 200 Soldiers for each company, which is also divided into three platoons, each having sixty Soldiers commanded by a Junior Commissioned officer, Here each soldiers specialized in his department whether Gunner, Marksman, Radio man,and Medic

      Actually each platoons have special Marksman Sniper Rifles, Anti Tank missiles, MANPAD's, Machine gunner and Assault team, when we looks their equipments, It's small shock since they using obsolete equipments, from Assault rifles to Anti tank guided missiles too, Here the level of shortage.

Assault Rifles for Army

the MCIWS which replaces the INSAS

       Assault Rifles are the first and foremost infantry fire arms, there is no replacements in the sight to change  where OFB comes with  MCIWS which is being in development stages, and the MCIWS is the only current Assault rifle in option to Replace the old INSAS, the MCIWS firstly revealed in the Def Expo 2014, and as of now three prototypes developed which is in development trails, the MCIWS can fire both 5.56mm and 7.62mm standard Rifles by  changing the Rifle Barrel only.

Carbines- CQB

Coast Guard with AMOGH 5.56mm

       Carbines are used for close battle situations, such as special operations, and counter insurgency. Indian Army using specialized variants of Ak series rifles for this role called AKM , and recently some good numbers of  M4 and TAR 21 bought by the Army for special operations.the CQB deal scrapped due to all the Four contenders Rifle Failed in some Trails, The Barretta ARX 160, TAR 21 and M4,  The OFB also presented it's AMOGH 5.56mm carbine, Some of the Coast Guard using AMOGH rifles as of Now.

Sniper

Dedicated Sniper Rifle .338 Laupua Magnum

        So far Army relay's on the vintage soviet era Sniper Rifle Dragnov, for Sniper ops and using Indian made Vidhwansak for Anti material use, since the Dragnov not effective to penetrate modern ballistic vests, the SVD is not actually a pure Sniper, It's a Designated Marksman Rifle only for Sharp shooting, It's time to modernize with new generation Sniper Rifles. earlier the NSG went for Heckler Hock  MSG 90 and some bough US made baretta M 82 .50 cal Modern Sniper, currently most of them uses .339 laupua magnum bullets operated sniper Rifles.

Machine Gun

IMI Negev 7.62mm LMG

   For continuous fire support, heavy friendly fire support and Suppressing fire gives boost to the friendly forces to allow and move their positions, changing their magazines and simulating targets. mean time enemy pinned down for continuous fire from our side, India operates some tri pod version of Heavy machine guns and some unknown numbers of Older version of PKM Light Machine guns, who is 7.62 mm Caliber, for battle support,Army also plans to replace those vintage MG with modern light weight Machine guns. as per known details most of the MARCOS,IAF Garuds ,swat teams of Punjab,chattisgarh,Octopus unit of hyderabad. who using the IWI Negev 7.62 Machine Guns, It's believed that Negev is going to replace all existing LMG from Indian Forces.

Anti Tanks

  Army uses second generation Milan ATGM, which will be replaced soon by more powerful Israeli made Spike ATGM systems, the ministry already cleared the deal, but no time line available about the delivery,

MANPAD

Army is in evaluation trails of new generation MANPAD system, since Army have only less numbers of soviet era Igla MANPADS, as per details the Army soon announce the winner and start negotiating about procuring some thousand plus systems. so far Russian made Igla S leading the Trails,

BFJ,Helmet and NVD

No informations available yet, since it's too many times the Ministry scrapped the deal of Helmets and BFJ, and no informations about the Night Vision devices.

mini UAV

Almost all other Army's have battlefield UAV's, Indian army also evaluating some Indian private company's UAV's, the American Raven UAV also in consideration.