The Army has procured and has inducted 100 robotic mules under the fourth trance of emergency procurements

The Army has procured and inducted 100 robotic mules in forward areas while logistics drones are undergoing trials which will significantly streamline support and movement to forward areas, especially in high altitude. A new tent for high-altitude areas is under evaluation for deployment at temperatures up to -40 degrees Celsius.

All of these were on display last week at the Himtech symposium organised at Leh, specifically showcasing high altitude technologies.

“The Army has procured and has inducted 100 robotic mules under the fourth trance of emergency procurements (EP),” a defence source confirmed. The fourth round of EPs was undertaken between September 2022 to September 2023.

Contracts up to ₹300 crore can be placed under EP, and deliveries have to be concluded within one year. Since the 2020 standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh, the Army has been looking for a series of technological innovations especially for high altitudes for a range of functions.

The robotic mule is a high-endurance, agile and durable all-weather ground robot for use in a broad range of unstructured urban and natural environments for defence applications. “He is able to walk up to three years. He is able to counter all kinds of obstacles and obstacles… He can go inside water and cross rivers… He has the ability to recognise objects around as there are electro-optics, infrared…,” Arjun Aggarwal, managing director and CEO of AeroArc said while speaking at Himtech. The mule can climb stairs, steep hills and other hurdles and can operate in extreme temperatures, ranging from -40 to +55 degrees Celsius and carry a payload of 15kg.

Extreme high-altitude clothing and habitat is a critical requirement for the Indian Army which is deployed in the world’s highest battlefield Siachen and also other super high-altitude locations. At Himtech, DTECH 360 Innovations announced the field launch of its Peak Pods, a high-altitude habitat (tent) designed for sub-zero temperature regions.

“We recognized the need for a solution that could provide safe and sustainable housing in high-altitude regions, where extreme cold can make living conditions unbearable. Peak Pods fill this gap by combining research, modern design and cutting-edge technology to achieve 15° C inside the shelter in sub-zero temperatures, even when the outside temperature is touching minus 40° C, without using fuel or electricity,” said Vinay Mittal, managing director of DTECH 360 Innovations. “The added feature of an inbuilt bio-toilet makes this a one-of-a-kind holistic solution that is not available anywhere in the world.”

“The Army is already using our solution on a no-cost-no-commitment basis for product evaluation & shortlisting,” Mr. Mittal said adding, “We are quite optimistic about a positive response.”

The product has been under evaluation over the last couple of years at three high altitude locations – Leh (11,500 feet), Daulat Beg Oldie (16,700 feet) and Durbuk (12,500 feet). While the trials at Leh were held from December 2022 to March 2023 and Durbuk from December 2023 to February 2024, the trails at DBO which began in May 2023 are still continuing. Army officials at the exhibition, spoke positively on the trials of the Peak Pod.

The Peak Pod can be rapidly deployed as it can be dismantled into 30kg blocks and are ideal for high-altitude military bases, research stations, adventure tourism destinations, fast-track hospitals, disaster relief camps among others, Mr. Mittal added.

A Drone-A-Thon 2 competition was held at Wari La on September 17-18 which saw over 20 Indian drone manufacturers participating and gave the Army an insight on the capabilities of Indian industry. In the logistics category the first prize went to Scandron Pvt Ltd. The CargoMax 4000Q drone that was put to test at the competition was also evaluated by the Army and defence sources said a contract is expected soon and will be a significant fillip in logistics deliveries to forward locations.

In the Him-DronaThon challenge, drones on the logistics category were to takeoff from 15400 feet with a minimum of 10kg cargo, attain an altitude of 18,000 feet, cross Wari La Pass and Land at the remote location and then takeoff from the remote location and return back to the base location, Arjun Naik, CEO of Scandron said. “Scandron used the CargoMax 4000Q drone and carried 20kg weight to successfully complete the parameters of the challenge,” he added.

The drone can carry a load of 50kg up to a maximum range of 10km and has an altitude ceiling of 6000 metres. It is scheduled to be flown at Umling La at an altitude of over 19,000 feet in October.

(With Inputs From Agencies)