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State-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is slated to begin the testing of the full-tracked unmanned remote-controlled military vehicle by end of this year. This vehicle is being pioneered by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE).
The 14-tonne vehicle will be an armoured, amphibious and air-transportable. As for its salient features and declared functions, it will be capable of nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) reconnaisance, surveillance and mine-hunting. Its chassis will be 6.7 metres long and 3.15 metres wide over the track guards which is 2.85 metres over the tracks. The vehicle will have an independent torsion bar suspension system. Propulsion on land will be achieved by the 2.5-metre wide tracks with track drive sprockets out on the front. The final drive ration as envisaged by CVRDE is 5.5.
DRDO officials indicated that on hard-level ground, the vehicle should cruise at a minimum of 65-kmph while keeping its amphibious capability activated and the vehicle will cruise with a maximum speed during mission mode of 20 kmph.
Other highlights include the vehicle’s capability to gun up from zero to 32 kmph in under eight seconds and brake from 65 kmph to complete halt in about the same time. With a flat cruising range of 400 kilometres, cross-country range of 200 kilometres and a mission intensive range of 150 kilometres at the rate of 5 kilometres an hour, the vehicle will hold 462 litres of diesel.
As of now, DRDO is on the hunt for a 400 HP liquid inter-cooled four-stroke turbocharged diesel engine. It must be with an electric start and the ability to operate in a minimum ambient temperature of -20°C and a maximum of 55°C. The engine will be preferred with a drive-by-wire management system, a high coolant temperature warning, shut off mechanism at low oil pressure, low coolant level and no coolant flow, power de-rating mechanism at high coolant temperature and warning at the fuel filter choking. Since DRDO has no expertise in this area, it is looking for potential firms who can offer such a powerpack for the armoured vehicle.
While further revealing the plans for testing the vehicle and determining its obstacle abilities, several details have been chalked out. It was indicated that the maximum gradient possible for the vehicle will be about 35° at 5 kmph, with the ability to cross a 2.5 metre trench and a vertical obstacle 0.7 metres high. The vehicle will be operating in diverse terrains such as plains, deserts, semi-deserts, urban areas and river ways.
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