– Vinayak Barot
New Delhi: Amid tension on border, the Indian Army is now looking forward to the infantry combat vehicles (ICVS) and Supply of 156 ICVS to begin next year. The infantry combat vehicles will be manufactured at the Ordnance Factory Medak (OFM) in Telangana.
Over the supply of ICVS, the OFM said that they will start supplying 156 upgraded ICVs to the Indian Army from next financial year with work at the factory going on at a frenetic pace.
It will be delivered as per the lot and the first lot of the ICVs will be delivered next year, other ICVs will be supplied subsequently. An indent for Rs 1,094 crore worth Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty (BMP) 2/2K ICVs was placed in June this year.
The General Manager of OFM, Alok Prasad said “We are absolutely charged up and geared up to meet any additional requirement for the Indian Army due to enhanced threat at our borders,”
Indian Army will become more advanced when BMP-II vehicles with technology will be transferred from the erstwhile USSR and the OFM has come up with other variants also.
“So much more is happening in terms of giving upgraded features to Sarath. New features will enable the ICV to navigate better in the war field and also have better communication. There will be an advanced navigation system, radio sets and digital cable harness,” Prasad added.
According to the sources, The OFM has also taken up another project for night-enablement for BMPs and Trials are going on. Previously, BMPs were not night-enabled, but, if missiles have to be fired in the night, the ICV has to be made night-active. This is being done with the help of Bharat Electronics Limited,”
“At a time when the Centre is keen on indigenous products under Make in India and also Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives, the ICVs manufactured at OFM are 98% indigenous,” Source report.