Page 30 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021 Online Magazine

Development Organization (DRDO) and made
domestically were undergoing trials at Leh.
The TATA-DRDO WhAP (Kestrel) Amphibious
Armoured Personnel Carrier is said to be capa-
ble of attaining speeds of 100 km/hr on road
and 10 km/hr in water According to reports,
Kestrel is designed to be configured to various [ LAND SYSTEMS ]
modifications and is equipped with a Remotely
Controlled Weapon Station, Elbit UT30MK2
30mm turret, and a BMP-2 30mm turret as its
main armament. The vehicle also has a coaxial
7.62mm general-purpose machine gun as its
secondary armament.

In June this year, The Indian defence minis-
try issued a Request for Information (RFI) for
approximately 1750 Tracked Futuristic Infantry
Combat Vehicles (FICV), to replace the BMP-2.
In November 2019, the department had issued
an RFI for the procurement of 198 Wheeled
Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). The Indian
Army also has its eyes set on procuring over
1,700 Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs)
in a phased manner, to replace the Russian
T-72 tanks, under the strategic partnership
route. The induction of the FRCVs is expected
to be completed by 2030. In April this year, the
service also floated an RFI to procure around
350 light tanks in a phased manner under the
Make in India initiative.

Another Major Market
The demand for armoured vehicles is high in
the UK will be manufactured in Germany, the rest will be assembled the Middle East as well. In August this year,
at and delivered from two UK sites - Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Saudi Arabia too delivery of an undisclosed
(RBSL) at Telford and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) subsidiary number of Kozak-5 armoured vehicles, made
WFEL at Stockport. Deliveries of series examples are expected by Ukrainian manufacturer Practika. The light-
in early 2023.
weight armored vehicle, which has STANAG
4569 level 2 of blast protection, is intended
Meanwhile, Germany has awarded Rheinmetall a contract to for use by the special forces and designed to
upgrade 27 more of its Boxer command vehicles to the A2 standard. perform police or auxiliary military tasks.
In June this year, the country also signed a US$ 1.3 billion contract
with Rheinmetall/KMW joint venture company PSM to upgrade its In May last year, Oshkosh Defense and Saudi
Puma IFV to the new S1 standard. An initial batch of 154 vehicles is Arabia’s Al Tadrea Manufacturing Company
expected to be delivered by 2026 and would include MELL/Spike announced the setting up of a joint venture
anti-tank guided missiles, driver situational awareness and SVFuA - Oshkosh Al-Tadrea Manufacturing - to man-
software defined radios. While Italy is currently working on the finer ufacture armed vehicles in the country. At IDEX
details of its ambitious plan to acquire a range of armoured vehicle 2021, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI)
projects to modernize its Army, General Dynamics European Land and UAE-based NIMR signed a teaming agree-
Systems is expected to deliver Spain’s new 8×8 Dragon VCR infan- ment to transfer armoured vehicle production
try fighting vehicle. According to the nearly US$ 2 billion contract and technology to the kingdom. As part of the
signed in August this year, 348 vehicles will be delivered over a agreement, JAIS 4×4 mine resistant, ambush
period of seven years from 2022 to 2029.
protected (MRAP) vehicles will be produced
locally in Saudi Arabia. In the long-term about
Boosting the Local Defence Industry 4,000 vehicles are likely to be built as part of
Another country that is looking at its domestic defence industry for the agreement. The production of the armoured
its infantry combat vehicles requirements is India. In September last vehicle locally is part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to
year, local media reported that eight-wheeled armoured personnel spend 50% of its military budget by 2030 on
carriers for infantry troops, designed by the Defence Research and equipment made domestically.

30 | November / December 2021 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT