Abhay IFV
| Abhay | |
|---|---|
| Type | Infantry Combat Vehicle |
| Place of origin | India |
| Production history | |
| Designer | DRDO |
| Manufacturer | Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 23 tons (25 tons with ERA) |
| Crew |
3 (commander, driver, gunner) 7 Troops |
|
| |
| Armor | Kanchan Armour with Optional ERA |
Main armament | 1 × 40 mm Bofors autocannon (210 rounds) |
Secondary armament |
1 × 30 mm automatic Grenade Launcher 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun 2 × Konkurs-M or MILAN ATGM |
| Engine |
Greaves Cotton TD2V8 diesel engine 410 kW (550 hp) |
| Power/weight | 24 hp/ton |
| Transmission | Full automatic gearbox |
| Suspension | Hydropneumatic suspension |
Operational range | 400 km |
| Speed |
35 km/h (cross country) 70 km/h (road) |
Abhay (Sanskrit: अभय, "Fearless") is an Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) being developed in India by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Abhay is being developed as a technology demonstrator for replacing Indian Army BMP-2s. At present, various systems of this vehicle are in advanced stages of development.[1] On 18 November 2013 India conveyed to Russia that they will not shelve their homegrown $10 billion Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) programme in favour of Russian BMP-3 combat vehicles during the meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation held in Moscow.[2]
Project
Abhay serves as a pre-technology demonstrator to develop and test technologies that will be used on a futuristic ICV (FICV), which will replace the Indian Army's BMP-2 vehicles.[3] The project started in the late 1990s, and design work was completed by 2001.[4] However, the project faced delays due to US sanctions imposed after the Pokhran-II Nuclear tests.[5]
Abhay is being developed by the DRDO’s Ahmednagar-based Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE). A Mild Steel (MS) prototype of the Abhay has been built, and is being tested for proving automotive systems. The pre-production prototype was rolled out in June 2005. Development of the first armoured prototype is also in progress.
Design
Firepower
Abhay features an all-electrical turret drive system and a 40 mm high-velocity cannon capable of firing APFSDS and High explosive rounds.[6]
The anti-air firing range of the 40 mm cannon is 4 km and 2.5 km for ground attack. The ICV comes loaded with a total of 210 rounds of ammunition, and its turret, housing a thermal imager using the Catherine FC, also contains a twin-launcher for the Kornet-E ATGM (anti-tank guided missile). The Abhay is operated by a crew of three, and carries seven infantry soldiers. An electro-mechanical all-electric drive (AED) for weapons control with independent stabilisation has been developed indigenously by DRDO in association with private sector industry for the turret. The purpose of the AED is to position the 40 mm cannon on to the target in azimuth and elevation and to provide twin-axis turret stabilisation against external disturbances.
The AED uses brush-less drives with especially designed backlash-free elevation and traverse gearboxes coupled to the turret ring for rotation in azimuth, and to sector gears for elevation/depression of the cannon, respectively. The AED also employs vector-control technologies implemented through digital controllers and insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-based power amplifiers for control of the brush-less drives. It also uses fibre-optic gyros as feedback elements for the purpose of stabilisation. AED has a provision for MIL-STD-1553B databus and RS-422 interfaces for real-time connectivity.
Mobility
Abhay is powered by a Greaves Cotton TD2 V8 410 kW (550 hp) diesel engine (a power-to-weight ratio of 24 hp/tonne) and an automatic gearbox supplied by L-3 Communications. The hydro-pneumatic suspension allows for increased passenger comfort. These factors will give Abhay excellent mobility and speed.
The DRDO's Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) based in Bengaluru is designing the ergonomical layout of Abhay.[7]
Protection
Abhay is fitted with NBC protection system and Laser warning detectors.
Armour
Abhay is equipped with composite armour. Two prototypes were built. The first one was with the steel armour and the second one was fitted with the composite armour. The composite armour reduces the weight by 40% compared to steel. Lighter ERA has been developed to be used on the Abhay.
References
- ↑ pp 14, 2004 Activity and Assessment Report of the Ministry of Defence (India) (DOC)
- ↑ India Rejects BMP-3 Offer, Will Maintain FICV Program
- ↑ Ministry of Defence Annual Appraisal 2003, PIB, Government of India, February 3, 2004
- ↑ Army to have Infantry Combat Vehicle, UNI Report, The Tribune, August 5, 2001
- ↑ "Projects of DRDO delayed due to imposition of sanctions" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. August 26, 2004. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
- ↑ article from the journal TechFocus of the DRDO
- ↑ DRDO’s Life saving products save foreign exchange too, FIDSNS, August 30, 2007
External links
- DRDO Techfocus on Abhay IFV
- Abhay IFV at GlobalSecurity.org
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