DRDO chief Samir Kamat unveils Advanced Armoured Platforms
New Delhi: DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence (R&D), Samir V. Kamat, on Saturday unveiled Advanced Armoured Platforms (Tracked and Wheeled), designed and developed by the Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, an official said.
Speaking at the event organised at DRDO’s laboratory in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, Kamat said, “The Indian Army has tough specifications, so we have to meet them. This platform has to operate in deserts as well as in high-altitude areas, so it must have very stabilised firing.”
“We have to prove all these requirements in our development trials, and once we are satisfied, we have to introduce advanced features like AI,” he said, adding that this will happen over the next two years before these armoured platforms are offered for user trial.
He said that the platforms have been developed to meet the emerging operational requirements of the defence forces.
Both the platforms have been integrated with indigenously designed and developed 30 mm Crewless Turret, with advanced features to meet the mobility, firepower and protection requirements, said a statement.
“Integrated with high power engine and automatic transmission, these platforms possess a high power to weight ratio, higher speed capabilities, gradient and obstacle negotiating capability, STANAG level 4 and 5 protection with modular blast and ballistic protection all around. Amphibian with improved water obstacle crossing capability by incorporating hydro jets provides operational flexibility,” said the Ministry of Defence.
The 30 mm crewless turret, along with the 7.62 mm PKT gun, is configured to launch Anti-Tank Guided Missiles as well. The base design has the capabilities to be configured for multiple roles. The indigenous content is to the tune of 65% with plans to increase it to 90 per cent, it said.
The manufacturing of the platforms has been carried out by two industry partners – TATA Advanced Systems Limited and Bharat Forge Limited – supported by many MSMEs. This collaboration has resulted in strengthening the evolving defence ecosystem, said the statement.