The Indian Armed Forces will procure a common explosive vehicle for its three major branches to better support integrated operations.
The vehicle should be able to safely transport various types of ammunition for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
It should also help reduce the risk of fire and other accidents that could lead to unwanted loss of life.
According to the army, which is leading the joint procurement, the potential solution would have to undergo field evaluation trials before official deployment.
The selected vendor will also be required to supply spare parts and other associated services throughout the service life of the winning platform.
An official request for information is expected to be released soon.
Increased Efficiency, Interoperability
An Indian military official explained that each service practices a common explosive segregation strategy.
But when it comes to transporting live ammo, he said the three major branches are individually utilizing their own platforms, risking handling safety requirements.
“This also led to increased logistics costs due to multiple redundancies,” he told local media outlets.
With the common explosives vehicle, the military is hoping for enhanced interoperability, which would contribute to improved operational preparedness.
The vehicle is also expected to boost the functional efficiency of army, navy, and air force units, as well as optimize repair and maintenance processes.
“Procuring a platform jointly for the three services will also lead to reduced inventory, optimize repair infrastructure, and less storage space,” another official said. “There will be an enhanced flexibility as being a common platform.”