Platform profile · India · Tracked amphibious infantry combat vehicle · Indian Army
BMP-2/2K Sarath Infantry Combat Vehicle
OngoingThe Times of India reported BMP-2 live-fire drills with an anti-tank missile and cage or slat armour in Rajasthan on February 17, 2026.
The Times of India reported that BMP-2 vehicles fired an anti-tank guided missile and operated with cage or slat armour during Battle Axe Division drills in Rajasthan on February 17, 2026. Five days earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the overhaul of BMP-II vehicle platforms to extend service life and sustain Army readiness. The newspaper also reported that Ordnance Factory Medak completed annual amphibious trials of BMP-II vehicles and variants at Malkapur Lake on December 12, 2025, four months after the council approved thermal-imager driver night sights for the fleet. A March 2024 contract covers 693 BMP2-to-BMP2M armament upgrades with night enablement, new gunner and commander sights, and a fire-control system with automatic target tracking. The Indian-built Sarath is a 14-tonne tracked amphibious vehicle carrying three crew and seven soldiers, armed with a stabilised 30 mm cannon, a 7.62 mm coaxial gun and Konkurs missiles. Its continuing overhaul and sensor modernisation matter because the BMP-2 remains a core Mechanised Infantry carrier while India works toward a future replacement.
Updated 17 Feb 2026
Verified figures
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Crew and troops | 3 crew plus 7 soldiers ↗ |
| Combat weight | 14,000 kg ↗ |
| Ground pressure | 0.64 kg/cm2 ↗ |
| Engine | 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel, 300 HP ↗ |
| Maximum road speed | 65 km/h ↗ |
| Speed in water | 7 km/h ↗ |
| Maximum range | 550-600 km ↗ |
| Transmission | Manual, 5 forward and 1 reverse ↗ |
| Main armament | 1 x 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon ↗ |
| Coaxial armament | 1 x 7.62 mm PKT machine gun ↗ |
| Anti-tank armament | 1 launcher rail for Konkurs missile; stated range 4 km ↗ |
| Smoke equipment | Six 81 mm smoke grenade launchers plus smoke-generating equipment ↗ |
Spec sources: avnl.co.in ↗
Changelog
Program timeline
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The Times of India reported that BMP-2 vehicles conducted coordinated combat drills in forward areas of Rajasthan, fired an anti-tank guided missile and operated with cage or slat armour during a Battle Axe Division exercise.
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The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for overhaul of BMP-II vehicle platforms, alongside T-72 tanks and armoured recovery vehicles, to extend service life and sustain readiness.
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The Times of India reported that Ordnance Factory Medak completed annual flotation trials of BMP-II vehicles and variants at Malkapur Lake in Sangareddy district, with quality-assurance and user-directorate officers present.
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Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited announced Indian Army contracts totalling Rs 2,565.46 crore that included overhaul of 100 BMP-II vehicles and 40 T-90 tanks.
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The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for thermal-imager-based driver night sights for Army BMP vehicles within proposals worth about Rs 67,000 crore.
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The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with AVNL for 693 BMP2-to-BMP2M armament upgrades covering night enablement, a gunner main sight, commander panoramic sight and an automatic-target-tracking fire-control system.
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Ordnance Factory Medak dispatched 27 BMP-II vehicles by rail in one movement to the newly raised 17 Grenadiers.
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Ordnance Factory Medak conducted BMP flotation trials at Malkapur Lake, Sangareddy district, with the Directorate General of Quality Assurance as part of amphibious testing.
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Ordnance Factory Medak handed a bar-coded BMP-II to the Directorate General of Mechanised Forces in the presence of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
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Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone for Ordnance Factory Medak, established to manufacture Sarath vehicles for the Indian Army.
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