The defence ministry plans to equip the Indian Army with protected mobility vehicles (PMV) for use in high-altitude areas, above 4000 metre, officials familiar with the matter said. The army needs similar vehicles for other areas too.
In a request for information issued on Thursday, the army spelt out the operational characteristics of the vehicles it needs for high altitude with details such as ballistic protection, payload capacity, speed, operating temperature, firing ports and operating altitude.
The army plans to buy 500 such vehicles for high altitude.
The PMVs will have to be a wheeled, 4x4 drive mode vehicle with automatic transmission, and a minimum seating capacity of 10 soldiers excluding driver and co-driver - all with combat loads not less than 30 kg.
The RFI said the PMV should optimally function in temperatures ranging from 40˚C to minus 15˚C. The army also requires standard PMVs for deployment at heights less than 4,000 metre. In another RFI, the army said it needs 700 such vehicles.