Ahilyanagar: The Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) of the DRDO on Saturday unveiled two next-generation infantry combat vehicle platforms — tracked and wheeled variants — under the ‘Vikram VT-21′ programme.Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with two private industry partners over the past three years, this is the first serious effort to modernise the Army’s mechanised infantry corps’ fleet. DRDO chairman Samir Kamat said the vehicles will now undergo a rigorous testing phase before induction.“These two platforms will undergo extensive trials, including in-house and user trials, to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Army. Our endeavour is to induct these vehicles into service by 2029,” he told TOI after taking a short ride on the vehicles at VRDE’s vehicle dynamics test track.The Vikram VT-21 has been designed after studying advanced mechanised infantry platforms globally, such as Kurganets 25 of Russia, Puma IFV of Germany, K 21 of South Korea, with a focus on mobility, survivability, and firepower.The DRDO has developed the core technologies and transferred them to private sector partners for production.The development comes at a time when the Indian Army has been seeking to replace its ageing fleet of Russian-origin BMP-II infantry combat vehicles for over three decades. The BMP-II, which forms the backbone of the Army’s mechanised infantry, is widely considered outdated in the face of evolving battlefield requirements.According to VRDE director G Ramamohana Rao, the new platforms incorporate over 30 advanced systems.“These include artificial intelligence-based features that help in rapid target tracking and weapon selection, significantly reducing crew reaction time. The vehicles will also have advanced terrain-mapping systems to assist crews during operations,” he said.DRDO scientists said that these platforms have also incorporated a lethal firepower mechanism capable of firing advanced missiles like the Nag Mark-2 ‘fire-and-forget’ anti-tank guided missile.“This will meet the lethality requirements of the mechanised infantry, as presently it does not have this missile firepower. Besides, we have developed special 30mm ammunition exclusively for these vehicles in collaboration with the Ammunition Factory Khadki,” a senior scientist of the VRDE said.These vehicles have amphibious capability, with a decent speed to cross natural water streams in rugged terrains in the border regions officials said.Kamat said that these vehicles will undergo extensive development and user trials in different weather conditions and terrains in the border regions over the next couple of years.“Our endeavour would be to meet whatever improvements are recommended by the Army at the earliest. So we have taken all the industry partners on board, including those who have provided subsystems. We are confident of inducting these vehicles by 2029,” added Kamat.These new vehicles can carry a crew of 11 members, including a driver and a commander. Adequate space has been provided for them to sit, along with a separate compartment for keeping missiles. These vehicles also have audio-visual platforms inside the vehicle.“The vintage BMP-II does not have all these systems. It has been tough for mechanised personnel to operate,” said a senior Army officer of the mechanised forces.
