Representational image (Photo: X)
New Delhi: To bolster protected mobility in challenging terrains, the Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on April 30 for 159 bullet-proof troop carriers (BPTCs).
These 4x4, right-hand-drive vehicles will equip Rashtriya Rifles battalions, sectors, and force headquarters in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with a minimum delivery of 60 units per year post-contract.
Designed as protected buses, each BPTC accommodates a driver, co-driver, and 28 passengers, with a three-tonne payload. Gross laden weight caps at 20 tonnes, and ground clearance is at least 200mm.
It must hit 80-100 kmph on roads and 50-75 kmph off-road, with a 350-km range on plains and 300-km in mountains.
Tailored for the region's extremes, the vehicle operates reliably up to 5,000m altitude and in temperatures from -10°C to +40°C, mirroring Ladakh's high passes and Kashmir Valley summers.
Protection meets NATO STANAG Level III across all surfaces (sides, roof, underbelly, doors, glazing), defending against 7.62mm armour-piercing rounds.
Features include a 360-degree traversable roof hatch for a 7.62mm machine gun (+45°/-5° elevation/depression) and at least four firing ports per side in the passenger cabin.
Rashtriya Rifles, raised in the 1990s for J&K counter-insurgency, relies on ageing vehicles from past procurements. This BPTC initiative targets obsolescence and evolving threats in the Union Territory, enhancing operational edge amid shifting security dynamics.
