Indian Army Seeks Indigenous Mortar Specialist Vehicle to Boost Precision Firepower

The Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a new Mortar Specialist Vehicle (MSV) to modernize infantry fire support. This wheeled platform will automate fire data for 81mm and 120mm mortars, enhancing accuracy and enabling "shoot and scoot" tactics.

The Indian Army has issued a request for information (RFI) to domestic manufacturers for a new mortar specialist vehicle (MSV), a wheeled, crew-operated platform as part of efforts to modernise infantry fire support capabilities and enhance battlefield mobility and accuracy.

These mortar specialist vehicles would automate fire data computation for 81 mm and 120 mm mortar systems.

The RFI, floated under the defence acquisition procedure (DAP) 2020 framework, is a preliminary step towards a formal procurement programme.

The army's case for the MSV is straightforward: manually operated mortar systems depend heavily on crew skill and are prone to calculation errors, which degrades first-salvo accuracy and wastes ammunition.

A ballistic computer-assisted vehicle, it argues, would shorten engagement timelines, improve hit probability and give detachments the ability to “shoot and scoot” – fire and immediately relocate before the enemy can return fire.

The proposed vehicle would be operated by a crew of two. Firing data from forward observers and mortar fire controllers would be fed into an onboard ballistic computer, which would automatically compute and apply elevation and azimuth settings.

The RFI specifies an accuracy of zero to two mils in both axes, requires the system to deploy and aim within 20 seconds and re-aim within five seconds of firing. The vehicle would carry approximately 54 rounds and be designed to accommodate future integration with larger-calibre mortar systems.

Mobility requirements are demanding. The vehicle must reach at least 80 kmph on highways and 40 kmph on secondary roads, with a road range of 400 km and a cross-country range of 250 km.

The MSV must be capable of operating at altitudes up to 17,000 feet, a nod to the army's deployments along the Himalayan frontier with China and function in temperatures between minus 25°C and plus 50°C.

The specifications call for selectable 4x2 and 4x4 drive modes, independent suspension, automatic transmission, run-flat tyres and a central tyre inflation system.

Survivability requirements include ballistic protection to STANAG Level-1, the Nato standard that covers protection against small-arms fire and artillery splinters along with anti-drone cope cages, which have become a near-universal addition to frontline vehicles since their widespread use in Ukraine demonstrated the threat posed by commercial and military drones.

The vehicle must also carry military-grade touchscreen displays and be compatible with in-service communications equipment, including future software-defined radios.

The MSV programme fits into a broader pattern of modernization in Indian artillery and infantry fire support. The army has in recent years inducted the M777 ultra-light howitzer, moved towards the advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) developed indigenously by the defence research and development organisation (DRDO), and upgraded its stocks of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers.

Automated mortar systems are a logical extension of this push towards networked, precision-guided indirect fire at the battalion level.

Several countries already field comparable systems. South Korea's K10 automatic ammunition resupply vehicle works in tandem with the K9 self-propelled howitzer, while Turkey's Kirpi and PARS platforms have been adapted for mortar roles.

Israel’s Cardom system, a recoil-operated, computer-controlled 120 mm mortar mounted on wheeled vehicles, has been exported to multiple armies and is often cited as a benchmark for the category the Indian army appears to be targeting.