INFANTRY COMBAT VEHICLES: GIVING THE SOLDIERS A FIGHTING CHANCE

The Indian Army’s plan to replace its fleet of outdated infantry combat vehicles is currently stuck in procurement limbo. To be able to fight and win the next war, the need of the hour is to push forward with next generation combat vehicles without wasting time, explains RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

- RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

Mobility is at the heart of warfare. It is an adage that hasn’t changed since the beginning of conflict. From chariots in ancient times to cavalry in the premodern era, armies now rely on the infantry combat vehicles (ICV) to move large numbers of troops into the battlefield. The ICV, which carries a main cannon, a coaxial machine gun and anti-tank guided missiles along with seven to nine troops plus crew, differs from the armoured personnel carrier or APC which is an unarmed troop transporter. ICVs are a critical component of mechanised warfare as they increase infantry squad mobility, provide fire support to them, and are able to fight alongside main battle tanks.

Also, while tanks and self-propelled artillery can blitz through enemy defences, they cannot hold territory, a job that can only be done by the infantry. Protected from enemy fire in their heavily armoured ICVs, soldiers can enter the heat and dust of the battle and dismount when the mechanised forces have established domination, and the external environment is deemed safe.

The Indian Army entered the ICV era in 1987 when it acquired the BMP-2 – a product of Russian military doctrine which saw any future wars as being conducted with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The BMP combined the properties of an APC and a light tank, allowing the infantry to operate from the relative safety of its armoured, radiationshielded interior in contaminated areas and to fight alongside it in uncontaminated areas.