Defence News India: Indian Army will acquire more than 120 Mobile Integrated Network Terminals (MINT) to improve the communication between its commanders and field formations in high altitude areas, according to an expression of interest issued by the army this week.
Indian Army will use these mobile networks in high altitude areas both on China and Pakistan border.
The request for expression of interest (EoI) follows two-month long tense stand-off between Indian Army and Chinese PLA in Ladakh region which also resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and unconfirmed number of casualties on Chinese side in a violent face-off in the Galwan Valley area on June 15.
According to the EoI document, Indian Army will require nearly 129 Mobile Integrated Terminal Networks over a period of five years. Defence companies are required to submit their response by August 3, 2020.
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Indian vendors meeting the technical, commercial, and project requirements will be issued a project sanction order to develop a prototype on ‘no cost – no commitment basis.
“All trials of the project will be on no-cost no-commitment basis,” Indian Army said.
The project is sponsored by Indian Army’s Directorate General of Signals.
“The MINT is proposed as a lightweight, portable and easy-to-configure communication system with integral satellite backhaul and Field Wireless System (FWS) for employment in mountainous, semi-mountainess and high altitude terrain,” Indian Army said in the EoI.
Indian Army is looking to procure the field wireless system which is 4G equivalent or better with a single hand-held device, with support for voice, video and data services.
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It should have a FWS system and handset, satellite backhaul, power system, antennae assembly and IP exchange having a support for at least 16 ports.
Defence companies are required to submit a complete MINT system including ancillary equipment and accessories for field evaluation trials.
Indian Army seeks to acquire the MINT system, which has been designed and developed indigenously with a minimum 40% indigenous components.
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