Indian Army combat rations
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:24 am
Took a while to find this information, but here's what I learned.
India developed its own modern rations, produced in-country and comparable to modern combat rations used by other nations.
Army MRE
This uses pre-cooked thermostabilized entrees in a plastic-foil laminate retort pouch. The ration does not requre cooking and the contents may be eaten cold, though warming is preferred. It contains dishes that cater to Indian tastes, namely: chapaties (preserved), sooji halwa (300g), vegetable pulav (300g), Potato & Peas curry (300g), a chocolate bar, and 3 servings of tea (3 servings). Accessory items such as a plastic spoon, tissue paper, box of matches, a folding stove, and fuel tablets for warming the food are also included. 6 types of ration entrees were later fielded to replace the original single menu described above. There are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian products. These are: Sooji halwa, Chapaties, tea mix, Chicken biryani, Chicken curry, Mutton biryani, Mutton curry, Vegetable biryani, Rajma curry, Dal fry, Jeera rice, Dal makhani, Vegetable pulav and mixed Vegetable curry. Pickled hot seasoning inside small plastic pouches were introduced into every menu. An entire days worth of food, plus accessory items, is packed inside a heavy-duty olive green plastic bag with pasted on label.
One-man Compo Ration (Dehydrated)
A one-man ration pack featuring freeze-dried or dehydrated products has also been developed. It consists of early morning tea, breakfast, mid morning tea, lunch, evening tea, and dinner. The menus feature both dehydrated and ready-to-eat products, and include a folding stove & hexamine fuel tablets. The ration weighs 880 grams and provides 4100 kilocalories. Food items are packaged inside flexible plastic-foil laminate pouches, easy to open and dispose of, which fit easily inside the haversack or uniform cargo pockets. Intended for short duration patrol duties, the ration caters to Indian tastes.
Mini Compo Pack
This is a simplified version of the One-man Compo Ration pack, but provides only 1520 calories of energy from two entrees, namely Sooji Halwa mix (100g) and pre-cooked dehydrated Vegetable Pulav (125g). Weighing 400 g, the ration also includes: 3 packets of tea, a folding stove, fuel tablets (100g), matches, and a plastic spoon. Like other Indian rations, the food items are packed inside plastic-foil trilaminate retort pouches, which are then sealed inside a heavy-duty plastic bag.
Survival Ration
The survival ration consists of a soft bar and chikki. The daily survival ration per man consists of : Soft bar 100 g x 2, Chikki (sugar base) 50 g x 3, Chikki (Jaggery base) 50 g x 3. This provides around 2400 Kcal, more than the normal survival ration used by most nations.
Main Battle Tank (MBT) Ration
Uniquely, India also developed an operational ration pack specifically for Main Battle Tank (MBT) and other Armored vehicle crews. Designed to sustain 4 soldiers for 72 hrs in closed-in battle conditions, the MBT ration is based on instant/ready to eat foods and ration/survival bars. First and second day ration packs weigh 2 kg each and provide 4000 calories per man, while the third day ration pack weighs 1.5 kg and supplies 3000 Calories.
The Indians have also developed a special ration for the Marine Commandos, but I haven't been able to find any information on them yet.
India developed its own modern rations, produced in-country and comparable to modern combat rations used by other nations.
Army MRE
This uses pre-cooked thermostabilized entrees in a plastic-foil laminate retort pouch. The ration does not requre cooking and the contents may be eaten cold, though warming is preferred. It contains dishes that cater to Indian tastes, namely: chapaties (preserved), sooji halwa (300g), vegetable pulav (300g), Potato & Peas curry (300g), a chocolate bar, and 3 servings of tea (3 servings). Accessory items such as a plastic spoon, tissue paper, box of matches, a folding stove, and fuel tablets for warming the food are also included. 6 types of ration entrees were later fielded to replace the original single menu described above. There are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian products. These are: Sooji halwa, Chapaties, tea mix, Chicken biryani, Chicken curry, Mutton biryani, Mutton curry, Vegetable biryani, Rajma curry, Dal fry, Jeera rice, Dal makhani, Vegetable pulav and mixed Vegetable curry. Pickled hot seasoning inside small plastic pouches were introduced into every menu. An entire days worth of food, plus accessory items, is packed inside a heavy-duty olive green plastic bag with pasted on label.
One-man Compo Ration (Dehydrated)
A one-man ration pack featuring freeze-dried or dehydrated products has also been developed. It consists of early morning tea, breakfast, mid morning tea, lunch, evening tea, and dinner. The menus feature both dehydrated and ready-to-eat products, and include a folding stove & hexamine fuel tablets. The ration weighs 880 grams and provides 4100 kilocalories. Food items are packaged inside flexible plastic-foil laminate pouches, easy to open and dispose of, which fit easily inside the haversack or uniform cargo pockets. Intended for short duration patrol duties, the ration caters to Indian tastes.
Mini Compo Pack
This is a simplified version of the One-man Compo Ration pack, but provides only 1520 calories of energy from two entrees, namely Sooji Halwa mix (100g) and pre-cooked dehydrated Vegetable Pulav (125g). Weighing 400 g, the ration also includes: 3 packets of tea, a folding stove, fuel tablets (100g), matches, and a plastic spoon. Like other Indian rations, the food items are packed inside plastic-foil trilaminate retort pouches, which are then sealed inside a heavy-duty plastic bag.
Survival Ration
The survival ration consists of a soft bar and chikki. The daily survival ration per man consists of : Soft bar 100 g x 2, Chikki (sugar base) 50 g x 3, Chikki (Jaggery base) 50 g x 3. This provides around 2400 Kcal, more than the normal survival ration used by most nations.
Main Battle Tank (MBT) Ration
Uniquely, India also developed an operational ration pack specifically for Main Battle Tank (MBT) and other Armored vehicle crews. Designed to sustain 4 soldiers for 72 hrs in closed-in battle conditions, the MBT ration is based on instant/ready to eat foods and ration/survival bars. First and second day ration packs weigh 2 kg each and provide 4000 calories per man, while the third day ration pack weighs 1.5 kg and supplies 3000 Calories.
The Indians have also developed a special ration for the Marine Commandos, but I haven't been able to find any information on them yet.
