Indian Army to get 1.86 lakh new hi-tech bullet-proof jackets soon
The Army’s ordinary infantry soldiers are now finally going to get some desperately-needed modern bullet-proof jackets under a Rs 639 crore contract inked on Monday, even though they remain some distance away from getting new assault rifles, close-quarter battle carbines and light-machine guns.
The Army said the major contract for procurement of 1,86,138 bullet-proof jackets(BPJs) has been signed with domestic private company SMPP Pvt. Ltd after successful conduct of stringent field evaluation trials.
“The contracted BPJs have contemporary and state-of-the-art specifications with added protection level and coverage area. These ergonomically designed BPJs have modular parts, thereby providing immense protection and flexibility to soldiers operating in different operational situations ranging from long-distance patrolling to high-risk room intervention scenarios,” said an officer.
Also Read : J&K : NSG set to join Kashmir anti-militancy operations
“The new BPJs will provide 360 degree protection to soldiers in combat, including from latest hard steel core bullets,” he added. As per the contract, SMPP will start the supply of the BPJs within the next few months and complete the entire order within a period of three years.
“The new jackets meet the most advanced GSQRs 1438 (technical parameters) standards of the Indian Army. These BPJs have `Boron Carbide Ceramic’, which is the lightest material for ballistic protection,” said SMPP chairman S C Kansal.
The 1.3-lakh strong Army’s overall requirement for 3,53,765 new BPJs has been hanging fire for almost a decade now, while its soldiers make do with old bulky ones that provide poor protection and are near the end of their operational life.
Post Your Comments