India Launches Bid for Towed Antiaircraft Guns

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India has a large inventory of old-fashioned antiaircraft cannons, but there could finally be light at the end of the barrel with a newly issued RfP.

Late last year, the Indian MoD issued an RfP for 220 antiaircraft guns, plus an associated 141,576 rounds of ammunition.
The end user is defined as the ‘Indian Armed Forces,’ though the tender document said the guns will replace in-service air defence guns currently held by the Indian Army, i.e. a geriatric inventory of towed Bofors L/70 and ZU-23-2B weapons.

These are mostly used on military installations and in border areas as the last line of defence against marauding aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and UAVs.


OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES
1. Proposed Service Employment. The proposed AD gun is planned to replace the ‘in service’ Guns, currently held by Army AD. The AD gun will be employed for providing terminal / close in AD to critical assets in all types of terrain to include HAA/ mountainous terrain /plains/ deserts / semi-deserts.

Operational Parameters

2. Mobility.
The mobility of the gun system should permit the following:
(a) Movement in all types of terrain to include mountainous terrain/HAA, plains, deserts/semi-deserts, in towed configuration.
(b) Gun should be towed on metalled roads minimum upto 50 kmph and in off road conditions minimum upto 10 kmph.
(c) Capable of being transported by ‘in service’ aircraft and ships.

3. Transportability.
Rail transportability on broad gauge with ODC, if applicable.

4. Operating Altitude of the Gun System. Upto 4.5 Km above Mean Sea Level.

5. Weight of the Gun.
Not more than 7 Tons+ 10% in travelling position (excluding auxiliary power unit i.e. generators).

6. Into Action and Out of Action.
Into action or out of action time both during day and night with a trained crew should not exceed 10 minutes.

7. Crew.
Should not exceed four AD soldiers (excluding driver).

Technical Parameters

8. The Technical Parameters are:
(a) The gun should be capable of being towed by an ‘in Service’ gun towing vehicle for employment in all types of terrain to include mountainous terrain / HAA / plains / semi-deserts / deserts. (b) The gun should be able to engage air targets during day and night using ‘in service’ fire control radar (at the time of evaluation) as well as Electro Optical Fire Control Systems (EOFCS) independently. Provision for handing over target from radar to EOFCS must exist. (c) The gun should be able to fire smart / advance ammunition {similar to Pre-Fragmented Programmable Proximity Fuze (3P) / Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction (AHEAD) class of ammunition) in addition to standard ammunition.

9. Salient Features of the Gun.
The salient features of the AD gun should be as follows:
(a) Rate of Fire. Cyclic rate of fire of 200 rounds/minute or more.
(b) Effective Range against Air Targets. Upto 4000m or more.
(c) Effective Height against Air Targets. Upto 2500m or more.

10. Gun should be capable of engaging aerial targets:
(a) Moving with speed upto 500 m/s and above (Vendor certification for targets above speeds of ‘in-service’ target system at the time of evaluation).
(b) The gun should have the capability to engage fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, helicopters (including hovering helicopters), all types of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) / Drones, Cruise missiles, PGMs, Micro light aircraft, Para motors, Para gliders and Aero models(Vendor Certification).

11. Gun should be capable of engaging ground targets upto 2000m or more.

12. Electro Mechanical Drives. The gun should have Electro Mechanical / electric drive.

13. The gun should have auto parallax correction and auto leveling features with manual system as back up.

14. The gun should be compatible with GPS and should be capable of integrating with IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) in future.

15. Ammunition System.
(a) AD gun must have automatic ammunition loading facilities.
(b) It should be able to carry out an effective engagement (seven rounds or more for minimum two seconds) without reloading the gun during the said engagement.
(c) The gun should be capable of firing the following types of ammunition:
(i) Programmable ammunition with self-destruct capability (Pre-Fragmented Programmable Proximity Fuze/ AHEAD or similar ammunition, Air Burst Ammunition or PFFC will not be considered as programmable ammunition).
(ii) High Explosive (HE) rounds with self-destruction capability and tracers.
(d) There should be adequate ammunition stowage (quantity of ammunition on the gun) for more than five effective engagements.
(e) Reloading of gun with rounds required for minimum five effective engagements should be completed within 10 minutes and should be possible with two or less personnel.
(f) Ammunition should have shelf life of at least 10 years, which may be extendable after inspection by competent authority.

16. Angular Travel.
(a) Elevation - Minus 50 to Plus 800.
(b) Azimuth - 00 to 3600.

17. There should be a provision of putting fire limiting system (Taboo), within the above stated bearing and elevation.

18. Capability.
(a) The gun should be able to engage aerial targets independently with the ‘in service’ fire control radar and EOFCS by day & night.
(b) The gun should have the capability to engage fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, helicopters (including hovering helicopters), Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) / Drones, Cruise missiles, PGMs, Micro light aircraft, Para motors, Para gliders and Aero models.
(c) Should be capable of minimum five or more effective engagements of continuous fire without barrel change.

19. Hit Probability. Hit probability of minimum 0.6 during one effective engagement cycle at 70% of the maximum effective range with EOFCS using smart ammunition.

20. EOFCS.
(a) The gun should be capable of engaging air targets using the EOFCS when it is operating without fire control radar during day & night.
(b) EOFCS should comprise of an integrated computing and sighting systemhaving a CCD camera, TI Sight (cooled), LRF and auto tracker or similar equipment based on vendor configuration.
(c) EOFCS should have adequate tracking range so as to enable the engagement of target at the maximum effective range of the Gun (target speed upto500 m/s, Vendor Certification for targets above speeds of in-service target system.
(d) LRF should be eye safe (Vendor Certification).

21. Power Supply System. Durable, rechargeable, maintenance free battery bank. The battery capacity should permit minimum 10 hours normal operation or 20 effective engagements. Following should be provided additionally:
(a) A low noise / silent auxiliary power unit (generator) for charging of the battery pack (Central Pollution Control Board norms to be complied with).
(b) Ability to operate from commercial mains / generator of 220V 50Hz AC supply.
(c) Capability to recharge batteries while system is in operation.
(d) Adequate digital indicator.

22. Service Life. Service life of the gun should not be less than 25 years (Vendor certification).

23. EMI / EMC. The system should be EMI / EMC hardened as per MIL STD 464C at system level and as per MIL STD 461E or better at sub system level.

24. Environmental Standards.
(a) Environmental Tests. As per relevant portion of JSS 55555.
(b) Operating Temperature of Gun System.
(i) Minimum. Between minus 20 deg to minus 10 deg (Vendor certification for temperature beyond minus 20 upto minus 25).
(ii) Maximum. Between plus 45 deg to plus 55 deg.

Maintenance & Ergonomic Parameters

25. Cover during Transportation and Field Condition. Cover for Ordnance & sight to withstand carriage and handling in field conditions.

26. Maintainability Requirements. The system should be easy to maintain and repair with Built in Test Equipment (BITE).Also, protection should be provided to prevent reverse polarity fitment for all PCBs / Cards/ Cables / Batteries. Further, software in equipment, if applicable, should be restorable in field conditions.

27. Packing Specification/ Instructions. The tools and spares should be contained in containers to prevent damage during carriage and handling in field conditions.

 
From the range figure.. it seems that eligible candidate would be at least 40mm. 57mm will have a very good chance to win.

Oerlikon 35mm also claims an effective range of 4000m (depending on source, ammunition, and application). So, plenty of options. Does anyone actually sell a towed 57mm mount anymore, though?

Edit: This clearly has to be the odds on favorite, though. Especially with Make-In-India:

 
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