The Indian Army has made emergency purchase orders with a local manufacturer for specialised sights (binoculars) for use by special forces of the Indian Army in both jungle and urban warfare. The order for two sets of sights was placed "recently" as part of a flurry of emergency procurement of specialised equipment for the army.
The first deal is for roughly 600 multi-functional thermal imaging binoculars for target acquisition, while the second is for a multi-mission-sight that can be installed on the helmet as well as the weapon. Tonbo Imaging, a Bengaluru-based company, was chosen to fulfil the order.
Reports said the contract is worth over Rs 100 crore and the Infantry Directorate is in charge of procurement. While the Northern Command had previously acquired one of these sights for its soldiers in smaller batches, this time the Army Headquarters is procuring these specialized sights.
If the systems, which must be delivered within 12 months, operate as expected, a larger purchase order will be placed. The multi-mission sights are more compact and optimised for close combat. "This product is unique in that it may be worn on a helmet and a weapon at the same time. With a push of a button, the soldier may take it from the helmet and place it on a weapon instantly," a source revealed.
Tonbo Imaging is one of the few manufacturers of such devices on the globe. During the present Ladakh standoff, several of their products are being used for surveillance operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Major achievement of the company
The Bengaluru headquartered company has achieved major milestones since its inception. It received a contract from Bharat Dynamics Ltd earlier this year to indigenize new missile seekers for the Indian Army's anti-tank guided missile programme.
Tonbo optical systems are also on board some of the newest drone systems ordered by the Indian armed services. Tonbo Imaging won the Defence India Startup Challenge earlier this year as part of the government's iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) project to modernise the BMP 2, India's infantry battle vehicle.
