Army to buy latest snow mobiles for Ladakh sector

Army's Northern Command has issued a global tender for procuring latest snow mobiles which will ensure better mobility for jawans and intensified patrolling in the snow-bound areas of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) Northern Command recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) tender for procurement of 20 snow mobiles for the Army units deployed in Northern Command theatre in J&K.

The bids are invited from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of Defence Procurement Manual 2009 or Permanent Registered Authorised Distributors of OEM, a senior officer of Engineers' Branch at Northern Command Headquarter, said.

Snow mobiles are used as modes of transportation for men and material in glaciated and snow-bound areas (Siachen-Kargil heights of Ladakh region) of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

The latest all-featured snow mobiles are being purchased for their use in border patrolling and for mobility of troops along the Indo-Pak border in Siachen-Kargil sector of Ladakh Region, he said.

The specification of the snow mobiles have been put as 4 stroke, 973 cc petrol engine with power backup and 4 ventilated disc brakes.

Army had procured 20 snow mobiles in 2008 after 30 snow mobiles, which were inducted into Kargil-Siachen sector soon after Kargil war to give better mobility to the troops patrolling the Indo-Pak border, had almost completed their effective utility period.

Army said that snow mobiles should have operational characteristics including snow & high altitude terrain operations, with operationalibility of minimum 4500 metres altitude in operating temperature of Plus 10 degree Celsius to Minus 40 degree Celsius.