Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle

In News 

• The first batch of next-generation Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicles (AERV), was formally inducted into the Indian Army.

About Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle

• It is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and manufactured by the Pune unit of Bharat Electronics Limited.
• It is a versatile BMP-IIK amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) fitted with instruments for water reconnaissance, land reconnaissance, navigation and data backup.
  • It can navigate terrain using Military Grid Coordinate System, measure and plot underwater beds and water currents of rivers or canals, store data from various instruments on Control Console for further analysis and decision-making.
• Features: It is designed to meet the tactical and combat requirements of Military Engineers for carrying out terrestrial and underwater surveys in hostile terrains. 
  • It provides Combat Engineering Support for offensive & defensive operations in plains, desert and riverine terrains. 

• Significance :
  • The system will enhance the existing engineer reconnaissance capabilities of the Indian Army and would be a major game-changer in support of mechanised operations in future conflicts.

Source: TH