The system will be retrofitted on aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to facilitate auto-acquisition and auto-tracking of multiple targets by day and night in varied climatic and environmental conditions.

It will include several payloads and sensors such as a thermal imager, high-definition TV camera, infra-red cameras, laser range finder and laser target designator along with video target tracking, geo-positioning and geo-navigation capabilities.

The ruggedised, gimbal-shaped system is expected to weigh approximately 50kg along with its payloads and measure around 16 inches in diameter and 20 inches in height.

It can be mounted on the nose or underbelly, depending upon the type of platform being a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. Inputs from the sensor will be integrated into the IAF’s surveillance and communication networks and relayed to command centres in real-time for decision-making.

DRDO’s Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) at Dehradun is the nodal agency for the project, which will be undertaken in collaboration with the private industry as a fillip to self-reliance. The work is expected to commence this year.

Mandated with research in advanced electro-optics, lasers systems, photonics, imagers and gun-sights, IRDE has also recently taken up projects to develop different electro-optical systems for detecting drones and for coastal and harbour surveillance.

Electro-optical imaging sensors are employed on land-based, air-based and sea-based platforms to detect, identify and track human and machine movements and designate potential targets.

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The defence ministry intends to give preference to buy LAMV through ‘Make in India’ initiative to give further boost to the indigenous industry.

Qualitative requirements

Request for Information (RFI) is being issued with a view to finalise Services Qualitative Requirements (SQRs), decide procurement category and identify probable Indian vendors who are capable to undertake the said project and deliver the said LAMVs within a period of 36 months from date of Award of Contract, said army sources. The ministry wants to purchase 300 LAMV per year to beef up the security on western and northern borders.

The LAMVs will be employed for on road and off road movement in plain and desert terrains along western borders with Pakistan which is spread over Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat. Besides that, the armoured vehicles will also be deployed at high altitude (up to 5,000 meters), mountainous terrain including snow bound areas along northern borders in Eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim, said the RFI. “The LAMV should be modular in design, thereby offering the scope for future upgrades through simple modifications and to facilitate subsequent development, ” stated the RFI.

The vehicles’ shelf life should not be less than 10 years or could do 1,00,000 km, have seating capacity for not less than four, including the driver, the RFI demands. It should be able to carry payload of not less than 1.25 tons, and have cruising range of minimum 400 km on road and 200 km in cross country. Similarly, LAMV should be able to move on road at 80 kmph to 100 kmph and 35 kmph to 45 kmph for off roading.

The government of India invites responses to the RFI only from original equipment manufacturers (OEM)/ authorised vendors/ government sponsored export agencies (applicable in the case of countries where domestic laws do not permit direct export by OEMs). Last date of acceptance of RFI response is 08 weeks from date of pre-response vendor interaction.

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