By N. C. Bipindra

New Delhi: The Indian Army has initiated a process to modernise the artillery firepower and combat capabilities, seeking domestic companies to produce a mortar specialist vehicle that would replace the conventional mortar systems currently in service. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a request for information (RFI), the first step in the military procurement procedure, to acquire details of companies that can produce the mortar specialist vehicle and the sophisticated technologies they can offer. Indian defence companies from the Tata Group, the Mahindra Group, and the Adani Group have the capabilities to manufacture the mortar specialist vehicle, and are expected to respond to the army’s request for information.

The mortar specialist vehicles are expected to increase the firepower, accuracy, and response time on the battlefield. The Indian Army currently deploys 81mm and 120mm mortars as fire support weapons. These mortars are fired manually at present. The effectiveness and accuracy of the conventional mortars depend a lot on soldiers’ skill in operating the weapon by manually determining the direction, distance, and angle of the target, thus prone to human error.

The RFI is the first such effort by the defence ministry in recent years to modernise the mortar units by replacing the in-service systems with a wheeled system that could be operated by two-soldier teams. The new mortar specialist vehicle, or MSV for short, would enable the army to overcome human error, officers, aware of the procurement proposal, believe. “This (human error) increases the consumption of ammunition and also reduces the opportunity to make a strong first attack on the enemy,” they said.

The new mortar specialist vehicle would deploy ballistic computer, digital data processing, and automatic laying mechanism. “After receiving information about the target from the mortar fire controller or observation post, the system will automatically calculate and set the mortar in the right direction. This will increase both the speed and accuracy of firing,” the officer said. “This will increase the chances of hitting the target in the first shot,” they added. 

The MSV should be designed keeping India’s diverse terrain conditions, so that they work effectively in plains, desert, and in high altitude areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian Army has set parameters for the mortar specialist vehicle to be able to operate at altitudes up to 4,500 metres, apart from rocky and snow-covered terrains. The mortar specialist vehicle should function accurately in weather conditions and in temperatures ranging from minus 25 degrees Celsius to plus 50 degrees Celsius. This meant the new system, once procured and operationalised, would be deployed facing both of India’s arch rivals, Pakistan and China.

The mortar specialist vehicles must hit speeds of at least 80 km per hour on highways and 40 km per hour on unpaved roads. The vehicle has to accelerate from zero to 80 kmph in 12 seconds. The speed of the MSV would determine its success in “shoot-and-scoot” operations against the enemy and to escape counterfire from the adversary. The vehicles should be able to cover 400 km on the highway and around 250 km in rough terrain with full capacity, at one go. This parameter would determine faster deployment at distant locations on short notice.

The Indian Army sought MSV to have a 30-horsepower per ton engine, be able to climb a 30-degree radiant, and maintain balance at 17-degree slopes. The mortar specialist vehicles would come with an anti-drone cop cage to prevent enemy aerial attacks, as was witnessed on battle tanks in the Russia-Ukraine war in the last four-plus years. The key feature of the MSV that the army sought was a faster response time. The army stipulated that the vehicle should take less than 20 seconds to prepare the mortar to fire within the next 20 seconds. The reloading time for a second shot shouldn’t take five seconds, according to the RFI.

While the MSVs would deploy the current inventory of 81-mm and 120-mm mortars, it should be capable of modification to accommodate larger-calibre mortars in the future. The mortar specialist vehicle would come with a Stanag level-I ballistic protection, a fire detection system, a fire-fighting equipment, a first-aid kit, a recovery system, and other safety features. Additionally, a ruggedized, military-grade, touchscreen-based vehicle information system will be installed to provide the driver with real-time updates on the vehicle’s status and other essential information.

According to the current requirements, the mortar specialist vehicle would carry 54 rounds of ammunition at a time, with a special package storage system for different kinds of ammunition such as high explosive, smoke, and illumination rounds. With the army’s aviation wing growing in scale and size, and the air force’s aviation assets available for support, the MSVs should be transportable by the American Boeing’s Chinook CH-47 and the Russian Mi-17 helicopters for quicker mobility, apart from rail-based transport. Interestingly, another requirement mentioned in the RFI is for the MSV to be para-dropable, so that it could be delivered to a remote location and recovered later.

According to the RFI document, the mortar specialist vehicle project would be under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) and ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020. The army is expecting Indian companies to respond to the RFI as the prime contractors for the project, with a detailed indigenisation plan and a roadmap for developing critical technologies within India. The RFI also stipulates that the mortar specialist vehicle deliveries must commence within two years of the contract being awarded. Companies must provide details regarding their technical capabilities, production capacity, financial standing, and the level of indigenous content involved.

The Indian Army has long been working to make its fire support systems more mobile and precise. In modern warfare, the ability to respond immediately upon detecting enemy positions is vital; in this context, an automated platform offers significant advantages to soldiers compared to traditional mortars. The MoD RFI states that the objective of the mortar specialist vehicle is to enhance accuracy, reduce response times, and provide more effective fire support to infantry units. Consequently, the army views this project as a significant enhancement to its combat capabilities.

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