F-INSAS: India�s Future Soldier

The main aim of the F-INSAS program is to equip the Indian soldier with state of art equipment namely:

a) Multi-calibre and multi-mode weapons

b) Information, navigation and communication equipment

c) Protective Gear

d) Health and environment monitoring tools

e) Portable renewable power sources

 

The fully integrated soldier system will function in a multi-role, multi-weather and fully aware battle-space with outmatch capabilities of lethality, survivability, sustainability and mobility. The Indian Army is steadily implementing a major plan to make its units “light, rapidly deployable and more lethal at extended ranges, particularly in darkness”.

 

The cornerstone and the first stage of F-INSAS is the development and procurement of multi-calibre and multi-mode assault rifles for the infantry soldier to replace the ageing INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle. The planned primary weapon is a rifle capable of firing 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition with a new 6.8mm under-development. This first stage alone will reportedly cost up to INR 250 billion. These developments are crucial as Indian Army faces a myriad of threats across the spectrum of conflict. The new assault rifles will be modular in design allowing replacement of sub-assemblies without specialised tools. The new rifles will feature interchangeable barrels, a combination of some or all from amidst 5.56 X 45mm, 7.62 X 39mm, 7.62 X 51mm, and 6.8 X 43mm. In addition, the rifles will feature holographic reflex sight and Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) for launch of air bursting grenade. Crucially, they will also be interchangeable for both right and left-handed users, overcoming a traditional shortfall of many weapons. Soldiers will use the 7.62 x 39mm barrels for counter-insurgency operations and the 5.56 x 45mm barrels for conventional warfare.

 

Another very critical component of the F-INSAS project is the Tactical Communication System (TCS) as a replacement for the Army Radio Engineered Network (AREN). TCS will consist of “trunk nodes such as the key bandwidth carrier connection points, terminating at access nodes for Brigade-level communications”. This will then extend to command posts at Company level. In 2010, it was reported that TCS would cost around INR 100 billion, with India consulting with major IT firms to develop not only a system that incorporates mobile technology and equipment sensors, but one that is secure enough to protect highly sensitive data. The involvement of private players in the field of IT and telecom is crucial to the success of this endeavour as they are some of the best players in the world. The TCS will provide holistic connectivity between units on ground with command posts and HQs. It will drastically improve the situational awareness of the whole chain of command leading to better results and lesser casualties.

 

The third component is the individual protective gear and monitoring tools attached to the soldier. The protective gear will consist of a visor and Head Mounted Display (HMD), weather adjustable vests, light shrapnel proof jackets and wrist mounted PDAs. The crucial factor here would be to reduce the weight of the load carried by the soldier to at least 50 percent of current levels to increase mobility and survivability. The FELIN system of France has been used in Afghanistan and has its shortcomings in terms of weight of the system and bandwidth availability. The medical sensor suite is likely to rank as one of the most costly features of the F-INSAS package and may require capability re-tailoring to meet the needs of both budget and practicality.

 

Some of the systems comparable to F-INSAS already in existence are the FELIN of France, FIST of Britain, IdZ of Germany and Future Force Warrior of US. All these systems have been successful in one scenario and not the other. The common theme which acts as an impediment to universal application of these programmes is the unavailability of practical power source to run all the equipment attached to the soldier. The size and weight of the power source itself is a hindrance to the amount of effective equipment that can be mounted on a soldier, thereby adversely affecting the effectiveness of the envisaged system.The other key avenue is kinetic. According to Surendra Kumar, former director of India’s Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), “the weapons system will function on light-weight batteries that can be easily charged. Sensors fixed in the boots will be used to charge the batteries,” in a development that would certainly be a huge step forward for both soldier system integration and sustainability. The solution to overall power for the Indian infantry therefore, currently lies in the use of a single body-worn system harvesting a collection of small power sources, including a mix of solar, kinetic and traditional battery energy, with renewed emphasis being placed on bases and vehicles to supply outlets for manual recharging whenever needed.

 

In the pursuit of achieving full scale F-INSAS implementation by 2020 following recommendations can be made:

a) Development of Multi-mode and multi-calibre rifles by DRDO with indigenisation or ToT, whichever is practical

b) Provision of night vision and thermal imaging sensors to enhance 24x7 operational readiness

c) High calorific food for soldiers by DRDO

d) Integrated Management system including IT and Telecom domains in Public-Private partnership to leverage the best both sides have to offer

e) Utilise our partnerships with advanced countries particularly US, Israel and Britain to procure high end technologies which have long gestation periods for R&D

f) Training and new programmes to be introduced for soldiers and officers to comprehend the high tech systems which form a part of F-INSAS

g) Availability of bandwidth and spectrum by government to operationalize the TCS and other communication components

 

F-INSAS is one of the most ambitious plans of the Indian Army for the next decade. The motivation is to create an Infantry soldier who is highly survivable, mobile, lethal, sustainable and with outmatch capabilities vis-à-vis its adversaries, 24x7 and in any type of terrain or weather. The soldier will be a self-contained unit with high degree of situational awareness and decision making capacity in real time. While slippages in the programme cannot be ruled out, the prevailing security milieu demands that the Indian soldier has the requisite tools to fight the battles of tomorrow to better protect our national sovereignty and integrity.

 

 

Views expressed are personal