Armoured vehicles must operate on western and northern border: Army chief Bipin Rawat

With changing patterns in terrain, armoured vehicles like battle tanks must have the capacity and capability to operate on the western as well the northern border, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said today. Future warfare will be hybrid in nature and forces need to build the capability to deal with it, Rawat said. He was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on 'Future Armoured Vehicles India 2017' here. Some part of the Thar desert is hardening, the Army chief said. With the development of canals, barren land has turned green and population density has increased, posing challenges. "With the canal systems evolving, we have to address the requirement of bridges and the manner in which these armoured fighting vehicles will negotiate them. That is why I say the battlefield will turn complex... the terrain will add to the complexities," Rawat said. Whatever be the future, he added, armoured vehicles must have the capacity and capability to operate on the western as well the northern border. "Therefore, whatever weapons we are going to introduce must be capable of interoperability on both the fronts," he said. Rawat noted that the Army was looking at modernising its mechanised forces and there should be a timeline for it. The Army is looking to introduce modern tanks and ICVs (Infantry Combat Vehicle) from 2025-2027. "This is the time we can make no mistake. We have to decide on what we want, what are the capabilities and what exactly we have to achieve. We must have the capability to operate by day and night," Rawat added. While doing so, the requirements of the infantry have to be looked into, he said.