Indian Army issues tender to procure light vehicles

The Indian Army has been seeking to replace its ageing Maruti Gypsys and Mahindra MMs with new light vehicles since the early 2010s in a phased manner. As part of this, the service awarded a contract to Tata Motors to supply 3,192 4×4 Safari Storme vehicles (pictured above) in 2016. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)

The Indian Army has issued a tender to procure 4×4 ‘light vehicles' to perform general service (GS) roles.

According to a request for proposal (RFP) issued by the Indian Army on 29 February, the service intends to procure 1,054 light vehicles under the ‘Buy (Indian)' category. Under this category of procurement, at least 50% of the purchased product must be indigenous.

The gross weight of the new light vehicles must be more than 2,500 kg, and the vehicles are required to provide mobility in hilly, high-altitude, cross-country, and desert terrains, the RFP said. The light vehicles will be utilised for rapid deployment of small teams in conventional as well as counter-insurgency operations, the RFP added.

According to the RFP, the length of the procured vehicle should be 4,450 mm, with a width of 1,690 mm, a height of 1,680 mm, and a ground clearance of 180 mm.

The procured vehicle must be able to operate in temperatures ranging from -15°C to +45°C. It must also have a manual transmission with a minimum of five forward and one reverse gear and a selectable 4×4 or 4×2 transmission system. A 4×4 option must include selectable high and low gear ratios, and a differential lock facility should be provided on the rear axle of the vehicle.