Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The locally developed Asmi 9mm submachine gun is presumed to be one contender for an Indian Army requirement for submachine guns. (Photo: DRDO)
In response to the Indian Army’s recent tender seeking 5,000 9x19mm machine pistols, nine Indian vendors submitted their technical and commercial bids by the 9 January deadline.
Worth an estimated $5 million, the submachine guns are being acquired as an ‘emergency procurement’ via Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020’s fast-track procedure. They are intended for the army’s tank crews and Ghatak or commando platoons in infantry battalions.
Almost all indigenous manufacturers who responded to the Infantry Directorate’s 12 December tender had existing collaborative arrangements with overseas OEMs.
However, according to the 75-page tender, the weapons need to incorporate an indigenous content of
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Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
Germany has ordered 84 RCH 155 self-propelled guns, as system incorporating Boxer 8×8 vehicles and the Artillery Gun Module, and 200 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles while the UK has committed to a single Early Capability Demonstrator RCH 155.
While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.