Indian Army convoy (PC: Twitter)
New Delhi: The defence ministry intends to procure 2,150 high-mobility vehicles for the Indian Army to operate along the line of actual control with China and line of control with Pakistan.
The high-mobility vehicles will be used for transportation of heavy equipment. The vehicles will be employed for off-road operations in plains and the desert terrain along the western border.
The Army will use these vehicles in high-altitude mountain terrain up to 16,000 feet along the northern borders.
The vehicles will be capable of being operational day and night, and in snow.
The equipment, tools and accessories of these will be capable of being operational in temperatures ranging from minus 15-degrees celsius to 55-degrees celsius.
In this regard, the ministry has issued two request for information (RFI). The first RFI says that the plan is to procure approximately 650 high-mobility vehicles 6x6 with material handling cranes (HMV 6x6 with MHC).
The second RFI is for the procurement of approximately 1,500 high mobility vehicles 6x6 general service (HMV 6x6 (GS)).
Sources informed that the plan is to gradually induct these vehicles in the units, in place of the older ones. “The requirement is such that these vehicles could negotiate the mountain roads that are narrow, with sharp turns,” informed an officer.
The RFI is a means to seek information from vendors to explore the suitability of products available to meet the operational requirements of the services, and to formulate SQR, maintenance philosophy, and other contractual provisions.
