The thing I am most impressed about are the SIG-716 battle rifles which are probably the best rifles out there for the role. Looks like they are also equipped with local (?) thermal sights and Israeli made Meprolight holographic sights which are proven and are very good.
When it comes to personal equipment I am not particularly impressed and I think there is a room for more improvement.
When we talk about the protection equipment I can comment on the design the choice of design but can't properly comment on the protection levels.
Looks like the Indian Army came a couple of steps closer for sorting out a problem with the lack of protection. When it comes to the helmet it is very good that it haves a helmet cover. Helmet cover can help a lot in terms of disguise and blending with the surroundings. The problem I have with the helmet is with its design. I think front mount and side rails would fit it nicely and add a bit more versatility and capability of using equipment like night vision goggles or micro lights easily. If we want to make it even better the helmet cover would be good fitted with velcro so additional equipment like batteries (for the NVGs), IR strobes for identification, identification patches (including IR patches) and also very importantly protective eyewear can be optionally mounted.
When we talk about the vest we should note that the particular design is not very modern but there are at least some nice touches to it. Looking at the front side we see a zipper going from top to bottom who is most probably used for getting in and out of the vest. I think this is liability in terms of protection. One of the most important areas which that kind of protection gear should secure is the Aorta artery and it is running like trough the center of the body and such a zipper could jeopardize protection if bullet hits in the middle. Good think about the vest is that they managed to make it lighter by removing a lot of weight from the side and implemented a multifunctional adjustment system which allows for the soldier to control the fit of the vest and also add the capability for mounting additional MOLLE equipment including side panels carrying ballistic plate. they also managed to implement MOLLE webbing at the back allowing the soldier to attach different kinds of equipment including a water bladder which is a good addition in the hard terrain and the heat. I also can see a fast drop system functioning with buckles but in order to work the front zipper should be opened first.
What I don't like about it is the whole concept of using a ballistic vest in that mountainous environment. Judging by the weight (3.5kg) I have doubts in its protective properties and most probably it is capable of stopping small calibers but if place for that is made (some ballistic vests come with that option) additional ballistic plates could be mounted to increase protection level but also with that the weight will increase. I think that better choice for that environment would have been plate carriers which both offer a good amount of protection, better comfort, higher mobility, a perfect level of modularity and also are lower on weight. The main difference between ballistic vests and plate carriers are that the first are made by bulletproof materials and are categorized as soft armor in their nature but they are usually more bulky, heavy and uncomfortable while the plate carriers are made to carry ballistic plates mainly at the front and back side with additional options in the most cases of mounting ballistic plates also on the sides. Additionally in order to increase protection and lessen the traumatic effect of a possible hit a plate carrier can also be fitted with soft armor. In my opinion the better option for mountain warfare is a plate carrier and for urban operations a ballistic vest. Even if the choice was a ballistic vest again I would not argue about that because the Indian Army knows its needs best I would criticize the design and would advice moving onto a design with a velcro front panel used to pinch the ends of the sides which results in successfully mounting the vest and also adjusting it but also would feature uninterrupted MOLLE webbing on the front resulting in better and more comfortable pouch mounting.
Another good addition to the safety gear is the usage of open finger type protection gloves and also an "X" shape elbow and knee pads. While these are very good additions I see a piece of protection equipment with critical importance missing. I don't see eyewear. I think ballistic eyewear usage is piece of equipment that is neglected by many soldiers even if it is present in their gear. They just don't put the eye protection out of laziness but don't realize that even micro projectile, sand, wall putty can seriously damage the eyesight or even result in blindness. With high quality eyewear the soldier's sight can be protected and even after impacts that would usually damage their eyesight they can recover and come back to the fight fast.
In conclusion I would like to say that for me the most important things for one soldier on the battlefield are his psychical strength, the ability of the body to deal with high amounts of physical stress, his knowledge base accumulated trough training and practice, his intuition and the quality of his weapon. With exception of the quality weapon all these qualities can be trained and improved in Indian military training and military academies. The personal equipment is important on the modern battlefield but I think that it is rather a luxury to have it and it is not a decisive factor in the calculation of winning or losing a battle or even a whole war. In the case of the Indian Army while there is a place for improvement in the personal and protective equipment I am impressed by the awesome choice for their standard battle rifle and the usage of high quality electronic sights.
Thank you bro for spending this quality time for a long answer... I was expecting a quick coffee but you give us a full dinner....
....Christmas arrives in july sometimes hehe.
