Technological Challenges in Futuristic Combat Vehicle

The conceptualisation of FRCV reflects change in approach to production of new systems with the end user driving the project rather than the DRDO. It is also a deliberate step in consonance with the ‘Make in India’ philosophy

The Indian Army is now clearly looking at the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) project and is quite serious about the concept, despite initial criticism over the idea. The FRCVs are to replace the Indian Army's aging fleet of Soviet-era T-72 armoured fleet.

Under the June 10, 2015 Request for Information (RFI) put out by the Indian Army, the Indian Army is planning to design and develop a new generation, state-of-the-art combat vehicle platform for its armoured and mechanised forces in the next decade and it has sought information from global and Indian defence firms to state if they could do it. The planned induction of the FRCVs is for 2025-27 period, according to the Request for Information.

The Indian Army had called this next generation fighting machine as the Future Ready Combat Vehicle or FRCV, which has surprised analysts. Whether this RFI is an indirect vote of no-confidence by the Indian Army in India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is already in the process of designing and developing a Future Main Battle Tank (or just FMBT) to replace the T-72 fleet is still not clear yet, though.

The Army has, however, expressed its intent to populate its armoured fighting vehicle fleet with the FRCV and to subsequently develop 10 more needbased variants in various roles, with the first 'tracked' variant of the FRCV as the base vehicle for the future variants.

"The Indian Army is planning to design and develop a new generation, state-of-the-art combat vehicle platform for populating its Armoured Fighting Vehicle fleet in the coming decade. This vehicle, which will be called the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV), will form the base platform for the Main Battle Tank, which is planned to replace the existing T-72 tanks in the Armoured Corps. It is also planned to subsequently develop other need-based variants on this platform," the RFI said.