The Indian Army is undertaking a significant procurement drive to acquire 60,000 Thermal Imaging (TI) sights and 200,000 day sights as part of its ongoing modernisation and capability enhancement efforts.

This procurement is aimed at upgrading the optics and targeting systems on infantry weapons and vehicles, thereby substantially improving battlefield lethality, target acquisition, and soldier effectiveness both during day and night operations.

The thermal imaging sights will greatly enhance the Army’s ability to conduct all-weather, day-night surveillance and precision targeting, particularly under adverse visibility conditions such as darkness, smoke, fog, and battlefield obscurants. These sights are critical for close combat and mechanised infantry operations, enabling superior situational awareness and precision engagement at ranges beyond unaided visual capability.

The large-scale acquisition of day sights will complement the thermal imagers by improving daytime targeting accuracy and engagement speed across a variety of weapon platforms used by infantry and mechanized units. This will contribute to faster target acquisition, reduced engagement times, and improved overall firepower.

This procurement aligns with India’s broader push under the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, heavily emphasizing indigenisation and the development of domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.

The Indian Army is expected to source these sights predominantly from Indian firms and defence public sector undertakings, which manufacture and supply advanced electro-optic systems and weapon sights. Such domestic production supports national security, reduces import reliance, and builds industrial capacity.

The procurement effort is part of a larger modernisation package approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in mid-2025, which included major acquisitions for the Army's mechanized infantry vehicles, night-vision enhancements, drones, and other battlefield technologies. The scale and urgency of this acquisition reflect the Army’s focus on maintaining technological superiority in optics and surveillance amid evolving combat challenges.

This acquisition of 60,000 TI sights and 200,000 day sights represents a critical step for the Indian Army to equip its troops with advanced targeting and surveillance capabilities that will significantly boost operational effectiveness, survivability, and lethality in complex operational environments.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)