Infantry modernization brainstorming results

A seminar on modernisation of India’s infantry was held on May 25 by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in Delhi. Here’s a brief list of some of the immediate recommendations that were drawn up after the seminar:
  • An infantry battalion or individual should preferably be rotated between two different or three near congruous terrain profiles only.
  • A project to reduce weight of the present medium machine gun, automatic grenade launcher, and anti-material rifle by at least 6-8 kgs should be undertaken.
  • Replacement of the existing Hand Grenade No 36 should be expedited with the introduction of a variety of grenades to meet all requirements.
  • 81 mm Mortars should be made lighter and possibly based on tracked carriers and their range should be not less than 7,000 metres.
  • A man-portable unmanned aerial vehicle troop (four-six aerial vehicles) should be authorised to the intelligence and surveillance platoon of infantry battalion. This would enhance the infantry battalion’s area of influence.
  • The ‘bayonet strength’ of a rifle section should be preserved. In a single section, there should at least be 6-7 persons available for launching an assault on the enemy.
  • Custom-built obstacle crossing expedients should be made available to infantry for negotiating water obstacles as well as mine fields.
  • Infantry company ‘F’ echelon should be based on two 1.5 ton capacity low silhouette vehicles.
  • Ghatak platoons should be trained for helicopter-borne operations and provided with light strike vehicles.

Open for discussion!

5 thoughts on “Infantry modernization brainstorming results”

  1. Classified !!

    These requirements exist for Indian Infantry since WWI (1920) except for integral Arial Vehicles.

    ….Do we say this is about to be 2010.. !!

    What a shame !!

  2. Good at least we have started thinking what we want. Time has also come to start thinking from where to get. Army top brasses and weapons aquisition policy makers should shed their love for import. Neither we should solely depend on DRDO nor imports. We must open up and start development Projects under Public Private Partnership for which an independent Directorate for Indigenous Development can be launched. Moreover we must open up our defence production. Monoply of Ordanance Factories must go away. Govt. needs to do more thinking if we want to be reckoned as world power. Our Pakistan and China oriented security focus must change. We have to start focussing on the Globe as a whole.

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