Abhay IFV

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]

Abhay
TypeInfantry Combat Vehicle
Place of originIndia
Production history
DesignerDRDO
ManufacturerOrdnance Factory Medak
Specifications
Mass23 tons (25 tons with ERA)
Crew3 (commander, driver, gunner)
7 Troops
ArmorKanchan Armour with Optional ERA
Main
armament
1 × 40 mm L/70 autocannon (210 rounds)
Secondary
armament
1 × 30 mm automatic Grenade Launcher
7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun
2 × Konkurs-M or MILAN ATGM
EngineGreaves Cotton TD2V8 diesel engine
410 kW (550 hp)
Power/weight24 hp/ton
TransmissionFull automatic gearbox
SuspensionHydropneumatic suspension
Operational
range
400 km
Maximum speed 35 km/h (cross country)
70 km/h (road)

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.[2] The project started in the late 1990s, and design work was completed by 2001.[3] However, the project faced delays due to US sanctions imposed after the Pokhran-II Nuclear tests.[4]

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.

In September 2019, it's announced that the FICV will be fast tracked.[5]

In an interview emerged in January 2020, army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane told that induction of FICV and Arjun Mk II is scheduled for 2026-27.[6][7]

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.[8]

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.[9]

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
  1. pp 14, 2004 Activity and Assessment Report Archived 29 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine of the Ministry of Defence (India) (DOC)India Rejects BMP-3 Offer, Will Maintain FICV Program
  2. Ministry of Defence Annual Appraisal 2003, PIB, Government of India, February 3, 2004
  3. Army to have Infantry Combat Vehicle, UNI Report, The Tribune, August 5, 2001
  4. "Projects of DRDO delayed due to imposition of sanctions" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 26 August 2004. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  5. https://www.armyrecognition.com/september_2019_global_defense_security_army_news_industry/competition_in_sight_to_supply_2600_infantry_combat_vehicles_to_indian_army.html
  6. "Interview: India plans future infantry combat vehicle induction in 2027, says Gen. Naravane". Defence Capital. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  7. "Indian army equipping for future two-front and new-age wars" (PDF). Defence Capital (Interview). Interviewed by NC Bipindra. Defence Capital. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  8. article from the journal TechFocus Archived 24 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine of the DRDO
  9. DRDO’s Life saving products save foreign exchange too Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, FIDSNS, August 30, 2007
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.