The Indian Army currently has large fleet of BMP-1, BMP-2, and various types of APCs of Soviet origin. Over time, these vehicles have become obsolete and incapable of taking on the challenge of modern-day warfare. At the same time many superior designs have evolved in Western nations. Tata Motors and DRDO developed the Kestrel vehicle in partnership with Supacat to meet army requirements.[4]
In October 2019, the Indian Ministry of Defence cleared the Kestrel for production and export to friendly nations. The Indian Army planned to acquire 200 Kestrels.[5]
Operational history
As tensions continue to escalate between India and China over the de facto Line of Actual Control, DRDO-TATA Kestrel (WhAP), landed at Ladakh to undergo cold-weather trials.[6] The first batch of WhAP's were inducted into the army on 12 April 2022.[7]
Development of WhAP 8×8 Amphibious Wheeled Armoured Vehicle was taken up to provide common platform for various vehicle type like Wheeled APC, 30mm Infantry Combat Vehicle, 105mm Light Tank, command post vehicle, ambulance, special purpose platform, 120mm mortar carrier, CBRN Vehicle based on the same chassis of Kestrel.[9]
Kestrel is designed for modern day warfare keeping in mind the crew survivability, protection against small arms fire, mobility and protection against concealed explosives. The armour is made up of applique and composites along with welded steels. Additional armour kit can be applied in heavy firing zones. The hull floor is further strengthened to defeat mines and similar explosives. The seats are attached to the roof for improved blast protection. Fuel tanks are placed outside the troop compartment for additional safety.
The 8X8 wheel configuration is set on a hydropneumatic suspension utilizing double wishbone arrangement. All wheels have run flat capability to allow the vehicle to move even after suffering punctures. There are four axles, the front axle is steerable which minimizes the turning radius of the vehicle.
WHAP undergoing high speed maneuver test.
The glacis plate is very shallow, and the fuel tank is mounted outside the vehicle to improve survivability. A standard operating crew of two including driver and commander, with a full mechanized squad of 12 members.[1] Anti-blast seats are installed to absorb any shocks and secondary slams, reducing brain and spinal injuries.[2]
Engine is placed at front left. Passengers are placed in the centerline in a back-to-back fashion, each facing a firing port.The Kestrel has high power-to-weight ratio for mountainous terrain and is powered by a 600hp turbocharged diesel engine. The vehicle is fully amphibious, propelled by two waterjets.[10] It can reach up to 100km/h.[4]
The vehicle has been designed to provide protection against land mines. It ranges from Stanag 4569 Level I to Level IV[2] with the hull being designed with protection up to Stanag Level III.[11] The hull configuration evolved follows a 'V’-type bottom with double configuration consisting of an inner panel and bottom panel. The bottom panel is designed to deflect the blast energy and get deformed to minimize the blast effects.[1]
Snap-on modules are used in the Kestrel in order to easily configure it according to needed roles in the field.[11]
The vehicle has been fitted with INS and GPS as its primary navigation equipment and is also fitted with Modular (UHF, VHF, HF) communication systems. [12]
Weapons
The standard turret installation can accommodate a roof-mounted remote controlled KongsbergProtector MCT-30R(RWS), which is outfitted with a 30mm autocannon.[2] It has an effective range of 3,000m. The turret also has a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.[2]
The RCWS adds a heavy 12.7mm machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. It also has option for adding up to two anti-tank guided missile launcher in quick fire mode. So, the vehicle is capable of countering enemy infantry, light armoured vehicles even main battle tanks.[13]
In the 2016 Defexpo convention, a Kestrel was seen outfitted with the BMP-2 turret.[14] Its known as the WhAP (Wheeled Amphibious Platform).[15]
Variant
Planned variants include ambulance, NBC recon, Command Post and engineer vehicle.[2]
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe defines an infantry fighting vehicle as "an armoured combat vehicle which is designed and equipped primarily to transport a combat infantry squad, and which is armed with an integral or organic cannon of at least 20 millimeters calibre and sometimes an antitank missile launcher". IFVs often serve both as the principal weapons system and as the mode of transport for a mechanized infantry unit.
The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for Boevaya Mashina Pekhoty.
The BMP-2 is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s.
The Patria AMV is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by the Finnish defence industry company Patria.
The Mowag Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss company Mowag.
The Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) is an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) developed by ST Engineering of Singapore and Timoney Technology of Ireland, and produced by ST Engineering Land Systems for the Singapore Army as well as by Turkish auto-maker Otokar as the Yavuz (AV-82) for the Turkish military.
The Pandur II is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge. Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge is part of General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), which is also the parent company of MOWAG of Switzerland and Santa Bárbara Sistemas of Spain.
The BTR-4 "Bucephalus" is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed in Ukraine by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau.
The Pars is an amphibious armoured combat vehicle family with 4x4, 6×6 and 8×8 versions, produced by FNSS Defence Systems of Turkey.
Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) located at Vahannagar near Ahmednagar. Its primary function is research and development of various light tracked, wheeled and specialised vehicles for defence applications.
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Otokar Arma is a 6x6 and 8x8 amphibious wheeled armored combat vehicle family designed and developed by Otokar. The vehicle is a modular multi-wheel configurable with a monocoque steel hull.
FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. is a Turkish defense manufacturer founded in 1988. It is owned 51% by Nurol Holding of Turkey and 49% by British–American firm BAE Systems Inc., and operates facilities located in Gölbaşı, Ankara.
Ordnance Factory Medak (OFMK), previously called Ordnance Factory Project Medak (OFPM) while in its development stage, is a factory owned by Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, a company that manufactures armoured vehicles and was one of the 41 Indian ordnance factories under the erstwhile Ordnance Factories Board of the Ministry of Defence, controlled by Government of India. It is spread over an area of 3023 acres and has an employee strength of about 3000 personnel. The company is headed only by an IOFS officer called General Manager who is the Chief Executive Officer responsible for the overall management of the company and is the main judicial authority. OFMK is the only manufacturer of Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs) in India.
Tulpar is a Turkish heavy infantry fighting vehicle designed by the Sakarya-based automotive manufacturer Otokar. It is named after the Tulpar, a winged horse in Turkic mythology.
The Type 08 is a family of eight-wheeled amphibious, modular armored vehicle developed by Norinco for infantry fire support, battlefield logistics, and quick reaction operations. Developed in the early 2000s, the modern Chinese vehicle family were produced for more than 6000 hulls and widely deployed by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force and People's Liberation Army Marine Corps.
The VPK-7829 Bumerang is a modular amphibious wheeled infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier being developed by Russian Military Industrial Company (MIC) for the Russian army.
The Kurganets-25 is a tracked amphibious, 25-ton modular infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier being developed for the Russian Army. The Kurganets-25 is planned to evolve into various models, gradually replacing BMP, BMD, MT-LB and other types of tracked Soviet armored platforms. The Kurganets-25 is supposed to have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats. The Kurganets-25 IFV and APC variants were first seen in public during rehearsals for the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade. Serial production was supposed to begin in 2016, but as of 2020, certification by the military is still pending. In 2023 It was confirmed that Kurganets was undergoing trials, and that vehicle was modified at the customer’s request. The changes affected the Kurganets-25 chassis, which as a result became more reliable and also easier to operate and repair.
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