According to The Tribune, the Indian Army is planning to procure around 800 light armoured multipurpose vehicles (LAMVs) for use in high-altitude areas, plains and deserts. These will be deployed by the mechanised and armoured units of the Army. The RFI mentions two different LAMV versions: one with basic features and the other with more complex ones, each with its own set of technical requirements.
A request for information (RFI), the first stage of the tendering process, was issued on Friday, July 1, to decide the procurement category and identify probable Indian vendors capable of undertaking the said project and delivering the said vehicles within 36 months from date of award of contract, The Tribune reports. The Army wants 300 such vehicles procured every year in sync with “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives.
The deployment is planned in plain and desert terrains and in the high altitude of snow-covered areas of eastern Ladakh and north Sikkim. So, these vehicles will also need to have the ability to provide early warning and intelligence of hostile elements besides being adaptable to drones. The advanced version should feature an integrated targeting and surveillance system, which might comprise a continuous unmanned tied surveillance system, a surveillance drone, and a loitering munition to hit targets.