Army to use sensor-based protection system on tanks to counter swarm drones
Drawing lessons from contemporary global conflicts, the Indian Army is looking at enhancing the survivability of its T-90 tanks, that form the mainstay of his armoured arsenal, by equipping them with an active protection system (APS),
The APS, which is based on various types of sensors, will counter the threats posed from new generation weapon systems like unmanned aerial vehicles, loiter munitions and ‘suicide’ drones that are not only difficult to detect but can also attack from any direction. This has been starkly visible in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
“The anti-tank threat is not limited to the frontal arc but has become omnidirectional. The tank design based on equilateral triangle of lethality, mobility and survivability allows limited measures to enhance survivability by increasing armour protection on tanks,” a request for information (RFI) issued by the Army to seek development partners for APS, states.
“Therefore, in order to defeat current generation of anti-tank threats including those from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), the active protection system is an efficient and cost-effective system to enhance survivability of tanks in modern battlefield and same has been reflected in various present conflicts around the globe,” the RFI adds.
At present, tanks use ‘explosive reactive panels’ to deflect threats from traditional weapons like rockets and anti-tank missiles. These are small rectangular canisters attached to the tanks hull and turret which explode when a projectile hits them, destroying it before it can penetrate the tank’s armour.
The APS should have soft kill, hard kill and counter-UAS measures to neutralise various types of threats, and should be capable of being integrated with the tank T-90 without reducing its existing combat and defensive capabilities.
Christened “Bhishma” in the Army, about 1,650 Russian-origin T-90s are reported to be in service with the procurement of another 450 in the pipeline. These replaced the older T-72 as the frontline armoured vehicle. Though primarily meant for operations in the plains and deserts, T-90s were also airlifted to Ladakh to bolster Indian defences following the stand-off with China that began in early 2020 and continues till date.
The Army requires the APS to be able to detect all types of UAS, including first person view (FPV) drones, swarm drones, loitering UAVs and kamikaze drones as well as detect all types of anti-tank projectiles like rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank guided missiles, chemical energy and kinetic energy munitions.
The system should be able to operate across all Indian environmental conditions including deserts, plains and high altitude, and capable of all-weather day and night operations besides being resistant to jamming and affording requisite protection to the crew from radiation.
The Army is seeking responses from global vendors to participate in the project through the Make in India route, which would involve local partners and production within the country.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also developing an indigenous APS. Its Avadi-based laboratory, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, began working on the project last year and the system is reported to be undergoing testing.
The Army’s RFP is focused on an APS for the T-90, the system can also be retrofitted on other tanks and combat armoured vehicles. The Army has over 3,500 tanks including the Arjun and the T-72 and 2,500 mechanised infantry fighting vehicles like the BMP-2/3.
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