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Mayur N. Shah

To supply all-terrain vehicles to Army

Mumbai , Nov. 27

Ashok Leyland is understood to have tied up with a French company to launch a `light armoured vehicle' in India.

Confirming the development, a company official said such an agreement has been signed but he could not reveal details as the company was bound by a non-disclosure agreement.

A light armoured vehicle is an all-terrain, all-weather vehicle designed to traverse on land and water, for the use of defence services.

According to information available, two companies (Centigon France SAS and GIAT Industries) manufacture this niche vehicle. While GIAT is dedicated to manufacturing and selling products for the army including guns, tanks, helicopters, etc, Centigon is known for its range of armoured vehicles (passenger car), speciality transport and pursuit vehicles. Centigon is dedicated to providing customised vehicles while GIAT offers a varied range of armoured automobiles. The two companies, however, make the light armoured vehicle.

Ashok Leyland's introduction of the light armoured vehicle in the Indian armed forces may be a shot in the arm for the company though the Indian army has an existing fleet of `Striker' light armoured vehicles.

The company's relationship with the Indian army dates back to 1970s with an initial order of 1,200 Hippos. Over the years, its vehicles have played diverse roles as dozer carriers, torpedo carriers and for mounting sophisticated communication equipment. Their diesel engines are used for vehicle re-powering, naval boats, cranes, ground started aggregates, compressors and generators. Today, Ashok Leyland is the largest provider of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army with a fleet of 40,000 Stallions. It has also partnered the Indian Army in its modernisation programme with the induction of specific variants on the Stallion platform like the High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) 6x6, Light Recovery Vehicle (LRV), Truck Fire Fighting (TFF) and Water Bowzers.

Earlier this year, Ashok Leyland bagged Rs 230-crore order from the Indian Army for 872 indigenously designed Water Bowzers.

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More Stories on : HCV/LCV/Tractors | Alliances & Joint Ventures | Security

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