"New" engineering vehicles go into service in India

A number of indigenously developed engineering equipment are currently in service with the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. A number of new combat engineering equipment newly developed by DRDO are on the verge of entering into service, further reducing the dependence of the Army on cost prohibitive imported equipment.

Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) Ahmednagar, one of the premier laboratories of DRDO, have developed a range of combat engineering equipment which includes the Armoured Engineering Reconnaissance Vehicle (AERV), Armoured Amphibious Dozer (AAD) and the NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle.

The AERV and AAD are designed to provide engineering support in both offensive and defensive operations in plains, desert and riverine terrain. The AERV is designed to carry out terrestrial and riverbed survey to facilitate construction of assault bridges across water obstacles. The AAD is capable of providing integral engineering support to battle groups in offensive operations for construction of assault bridges and for construction of tracks, thereby improving the mobility of advancing armoured columns.

The NBC Reconnaissance vehicle is designed to diagnose the existence of life endangering nuclear, biological and chemical contaminants in the atmosphere during NBC warfare and cordon off such areas.

All of these equipments are based on tracked BMP 2 amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle, which allows it to operate on land and on water bodies. The onboard equipment in each of these vehicles can be operated by the crew in hatch down condition from within the confines of the armour-protected vehicles.

Ordnance Factory at Medak has been entrusted with the responsibility of production of these vehicles in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited, Pune.

The AERVs are already under limited series production and have entered service with the Corps of Engineers recently.

New first off production vehicles in the category of AAD and NBC Recce Vehicle have been realized and a demonstration of capabilities of these vehicles to the Users is planned at VRDE, Ahmednagar, on 03 March 2008, in the presence of visiting Engineer-in-Chief, Lt Gen RR Goswami. Flagging off of new serials of AERV to be handed over to the Army is also planned on this occasion.

Source and Photo : DDRO