The development of military equipment in India, as a rule, is conducted for several decades, and very often the result is not so successful.
Arjun Mk. 1A has improved GMS with ATT, CPS Mk. II with TI/LRF, uncooled TI/night for driver, ALNGS, LWS, TWMP, RCWS, CABIS, hunter-killer capability, chemical sensors, new armour, ERA.....to know the details please check...bahut mehnat se banaya hai ? https://t.co/JHrI6wDlbk pic.twitter.com/P7RSkOxfN9
— Vinod (@VinodDX9) February 16, 2021
The example of the Arjun tank is illustrative. It was created in the 70s, it was planned that it would become the main combat vehicle of the ground forces. The volume of the expected deliveries was estimated at more than 2000 pieces. However, in reality, the army has purchased only about 250 units and now expects a completely new generation of tracked vehicles from the industry.
In a similar situation, there may be a Kestrel wheeled BMP, which was going to replace the outdated Czechoslovak OT-64 armored personnel carriers and Soviet first-generation infantry fighting vehicles.
In 2012, its layout was presented, and two years later, a prototype was demonstrated. As reported, in the maximum configuration, the weight of the car did not exceed 27,600 kg. Crew - 3 people, places for transported infantrymen-9.
The engine power is 600 hp. The maximum speed on the highway is 100 km / h, and when overcoming water obstacles-10 km / h.
As a weapon, a turret with a 30-mm automatic gun from the BMP-2 produced under a Russian license was used.
It was stated that the armored vehicle has an increased level of protection, but is confused by the large number of loopholes and observation windows in the area of the landing section. Such a technical solution does not contribute to high resistance to the means of destruction.
There are opinions that the Kestrel in its current form is still inferior to modern models of foreign armored vehicles, for example, the Russian "Boomerang". Our unified platform is better armored and more functional. For example, its weight can be increased to 34,400 kg, and the 750-horsepower engine allows for high mobility and maneuverability characteristics. The same applies to weapons - the installation of various rocket-gun combat modules, including uninhabited ones, is provided.
The Indian BMP does not have such capabilities, so, according to many military experts, it will not be able to become a truly mass armored vehicle.
Alexei Brusilov, Alexei Moiseev
