Tata Motors Submits Response For Indian Army’s FRCV RFI

Tata Motors has submitted a response for the Indian Army’s Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) RFI.

The Indian Army had issued a Request for Information (RFI) in June 2015 to design and develop a new generation combat vehicle platform called the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV).

The RFI is for the development of a base platform for the Main Battle Tank which is planned to replace the existing T-72 tanks in the Armored Corps. It is also planned to subsequently develop other need-based variants on this platform.

Tata is currently co-developing Kestral Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) with VRDE and is set to supply three ICVs to the Indian Army for initial trails.

"Eventually, we would like to become a manufacturer of light tanks and then the main battle tank. That is how we would like the progression to happen. The army released a request for information to develop the Future Ready Combat Vehicle, which will be the main battle tank. We have put in a response," Vernon Noronha, vice-president, defense and government business, at Tata Motors told media on last week.

There was speculation that the FICV program had been abandoned following the issue of an RFI for the future ready combat vehicle (FRCV) a fortnight ago. The FRCV program proposes the design and development of a modular system of vehicles to replace the T-72 tanks and spawn a host of variants including an armored fighting vehicle.

Tata Motors is one of several Indian and foreign countries invited by Vehicle Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) to co-develop chassis, propulsion unit and weapon system for a wheeled armored amphibious platform under the FICV (wheeled) program.

The FICV was the Indian MoD's first program where local companies would be partly funded for the development of defense products. Two consortium had been selected, one led by the Mahindra group and another by the Tata group. Both consortia had exhibited models of their respective vehicles at the DEFEXPO exhibition in Delhi four years ago. However, the MoD had been silent on the selection since then.

The Army has a requirement for 100 wheeled ICVs for OOAC (Out of area contingency), counter-insurgency and riverine terrain (NE) operations.

“Tata Motors / VRDE tie-up would source technology from France, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. and integrate it to Make in India,” Noronha said.