Indian Army To Procure Automated System For Rapid Laying of Minefields During Operations

The Indian Military is about to boost its operational capabilities with the procurement of an automatic vehicle-based system designed for the speedy laying of minefields. This initiative, known as the Automobile Primarily based Mine Scattering System (VBMSS), goals to facilitate the deployment of each anti-tank and anti-personnel mines throughout navy operations, successfully delaying or checking enemy advances.

Key Options of The VBMSS

Operational Requirement: The Indian Military has projected a necessity for 70 VBMSS items, as outlined in a Request for Info (RFI) issued by the Ministry of Defence on December 20, 2024. The system is meant to permit fight engineers to put minefields shortly, particularly in response to enemy actions.

Deployment Technique: The VBMSS will likely be essential for laying responsive or reactive minefields as soon as enemy build-up is detected. This functionality is anticipated to disrupt enemy plans and drive them to redeploy, thereby performing as a strategic deterrent.

Technical Specs: The system should be able to shelling out 600 or extra mines with no need replenishment whereas touring at speeds of as much as 10 km/h. It ought to lay mines at distances starting from 20m to 150m on both facet of the automobile, making certain flexibility in deployment.

Environmental Adaptability: Designed for cross-country mobility, the VBMSS can function in numerous terrains—plains, deserts, and semi-deserts—and face up to temperatures between -20°C and 45°C. This adaptability is important given India’s various geographic challenges.

Context And Strategic Significance

The introduction of the VBMSS aligns with historic precedents the place minefields have been used extensively throughout conflicts, equivalent to Operation Parakram in 2001, the place 1000’s of mines have been laid alongside the India-Pakistan border. The aptitude to quickly deploy mines serves not solely as a defensive measure but in addition as a proactive technique throughout peacetime alongside susceptible border stretches.

Along with the VBMSS, the Indian Military can also be buying different tools just like the Mechanical Minefield Marking Gear Mk-II, which is able to help in marking minefields extra effectively with minimal human intervention. This tools can function at speeds of 1.2 km/h, additional enhancing operational readiness in potential battle zones.