Required: ATGM-Armed UGVs & UAS, Not Light Tanks

It is now fairly established that the actions of China’s PLA Ground Forces (PLAGF) in eastern Ladakh in mid-2020 were part of its evolution of an “Active Defence” posture, defined as a focus on “rapid mobility and concentrating offensive capability to destroy an adversary’s retaliatory capacity”. And with the current infrastructure improvements in the region, China has ensured that it can move forces quickly to respond to any perceived threat posed by India. Added to this are the PLAGF’s ongoing efforts to deploy of family of wheeled armoured vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) armed with a variety of anti-tank guided-missiles (ATGM) that are now undergoing field-trials along eastern Ladakh. 

It may be recalled that with the completion of development of the Type 96 main battle tank (armed with 125mm smoothbore cannon) by 1998, the mechanised infantry regiments of the PLAGF’s Xinjiang Military Region (XMR) finally began replacing the older one Regiment of Type-59 MBTs and two Regiments of Type-88A MBTs (200 of them, equipped with L7 rifled-bore cannons). Together, they equipped the XMR’s four Divisions, which included the 4 Mechanised Infantry Division (located at Aksu), 6 Mechanised Infantry Division (at Hotan), 8 Mechanised Infantry Division (at Tacheng), the 11 Mechanised Infantry Division (at Urumqi), a Special Operations Brigade (at Kashgar), 2 Artillery Brigade (at Urumqi) and an Air-Defence Brigade (at Urumqi). Till mid-2020, the total mechanised force of the XMR against the Indian Army (IA) was about four armoured Regiments and two Light infantry regiments. The first-line force was about 372 MBTs and 248 infantry combat vehicles (ICV). In addition, reinforcements were available from the Western Theatre Command’s 76 Group Army (at Xining City, Qinghai Province), which included the 17 Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade (using ZTZ-99A MBTs); 56 Light Combined-Arms Brigade; 62 Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade (using ZTZ-99A MBTs); 149 Medium Combined-Arms Brigade (using ZTZ-96A MBTs); 182 Light Combined-Arms Brigade; 76 Special Operations Brigade; 76 Army Air Force Brigade; 76 Artillery Brigade; 76 Air-Defence Brigade; 76 Brigade of Engineering & Chemical Warfare; and the 76 Service Support Brigade. By late 2020, the XMR had established a three-tier MBT system: 39.5-tonne ZTQ-105 MBTs have since equipped two Aksu-based new light high-mobility infantry Brigades (acting as a fast reaction force), while the Hotan-based armoured Brigades have both 44.5-tonne ZTZ-96A and ZTZ-96B MBTs, and the 76 Group Army at the rear has been equipped with 58-tonne ZTZ-99As (see FORCE July 2021, pages 38-39)

However, the PLAGF, since February 2021, concluded that MBTs were not ideal solutions to its “Active Defence” posture, especially in the forbidding heights above 15,000 feet above sea-level, and consequently a considerable effort has been made in the development of high-mobility 4 x 4 armoured vehicles like the DongFeng Mengshi CTL-181A that can be armed with up to four 10km-range AFT-10 Red Arrow-10B ATGM, and 4 x 4 UGVs carrying up to four TL-4 ATGMs. This, in turn, has made the IA examine similar options, some of which are explained below.

In addition, the PLAGF has also deployed in estern Ladakh a family of fire-support weapons all mounted on the  6 x 6 DongFeng Mengshi CTL-181A LAMV chassis, with all these being employed for rapid deployment/quick reaction kinetic actions.

Back in December 2022 the IA had procured a limited number of Estonia-based Milrem Robotics’ Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) tracked UGVs for logistics support missions. THeMIS can be configured to be used for logistics, combat, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) or explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). The UGV has a payload capacity of 750kg with an open architecture. THeMIS is a small, tracked unmanned vehicle that is 7.8 feet long and 3.75 feet high. Hence, it can be fitted with a variety of payloads depending upon the demands of operations. It may be used for normal cargo, mortar or CASEVAC, a platform for rapid evacuation and in a combat role; the payload offerings include cannons, ATGMs, counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS) systems and even loitering munitions. It has a maximum speed of 20kph and a maximum payload capacity of 1,250kg, and is equipped with advanced sensors that allow it to perform tasks with a high degree of autonomy and navigate challenging terrain. It is powered by a hybrid-electric drive system that combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, providing a range of up to 15 hours on a single tank of fuel. THeMIS is also designed to be highly rugged and durable, with a reinforced steel and aluminium body that can withstand rough terrain and extreme weather conditions. The latest variant of this UGV comes armed with up to six MBDA-built SL-Brimstone ATGMs.

Germany’s Rheinmetall has developed the Mission Master XT (Extreme Terrain) 4 × 4 UGV that demonstrated its sub-zero capabilities during Arctic mobility trials in Finland last March, navigating icy rivers and climbing slippery banks in -30° Celsius temperatures. Weighing in at 2,217kg, this powerful A-UGV can carry a 1,000kg payload, allowing troops to transport special equipment to hard-to-reach locations. The diesel-powered engine allows it to travel 750km without refuelling, while internal batteries enable up to 6 hours of silent watch operations. The Mission Master XT can be armed wit up to four SL-Brimstone ATGMs.

General Dynamics Land Systems–UK (GDLS–UK) has developed a TRX heavy tracked UGV with SL-Brimstone ATGM launchers, which was unveilled at the DSEI 2023 exhibition held in London between September 12 and 15. This UGV has two pods with four SL-Brimstone ATGMs each and two remotely-operated weapon stations, one with a MAG 7.62mm machine gun and the other with an M2 12.7mm machine gun. A GDLS–UK representative explained that his company is proposing a concept of operations to deploy a scout/recce tracked vehicle with one or more TRX wingmen with ATGMs on its flanks that could target threats identified by the former. GDLS-UK developed the TRX for the US Robotic Combat Vehicle-Medium competition, but GDLS–UK sees the integration of mission fits as dictated by any end-user. This includes intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), lethality, battlefield engineering, direct-fire and loitering munition mission packages, as well as autonomy, communications systems, and human-machine teaming applications to make an integrated system.

UK-based Hydra Drones Ltd has developed the Hydra-400 new generation of high-altitude heavy-lift drone using hybrid propulsion technology. Compact and portable, the drone can be transported in the back of a Toyota Hilux or similar and assembled ready for flight in six minutes. The drone is powered by single-spool jet turbines, producing 50kg thrust and providing a maximum lift of 400kg. A single-spool core means that all rotating components in the compressor and the gas generator are on one shaft and rotate at the same speed. In contrast, a dual-spool core splits the compressor into two independently spinning rotors that are each powered by a separate gas generator turbine on concentric shafts.

There are also ICV-based solutions available, from which inspiration can be drawn by the IA for developing similar innovative solutions by private industry.

For instance, the Kestrel 8 x 8 APC can be modified to carry packs of HELINA (anti-armour variant with tandem shaped-charge warhead) or Dhruvastra (IAF variant of HELINA but with thermobaric and PCB warheads) or the SANT millimetre-wave guided anti-armour missile. For target acquisition, an electro-hydraulic raisable mast containing the TATA-developed LORROS sensor and the active phased-array antenna now used by the DRDO-developed and BEL-built Counter-UAS system can well be used for target acquisition/engagement.

Such a solution will be far better than the sub-optimally engineered NAMSIS system.