- Tata Motors will showcase India’s first armoured amphibious infantry combat vehicles at the event to be held in Pune.
- The Tata 4X4 Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) and the WhAP8x8 ICV (CO developed with the DRDO) will be exhibited to Army Chiefs.
- Tata has supplied over 1.5 lakh vehicles to the Indian Military, Para-military Forces and State Police forces till date.
Tata Motors will showcase two flagship defence vehicles at the BIMSTEC Nations Summit 2018 in Pune. The two vehicles to be exhibited to the Army Chiefs and nearly 400 plus army officers from BIMSTEC Nations are – Tata 4X4 Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) and the WhAP8x8 ICV. Both the armoured amphibious infantry combat vehicles have a substantial export potential, believes the Indian carmaker.
BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It is an international organisation of seven nations – Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.
The WhAP8x8 (Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform) to be showcased at the event is co-developed with the DRDO. It is India’s first Infantry Combat Vehicle designed for optimised survivability, all-terrain performance and increased lethality. It was developed in a record period of just 18 months by Tata. The WhAP is a fully loaded vehicle with safety features such as blast protection, ballistic protection and NBC protection. The modular feature of the WhAP helps it to be easily modified to suit various terrain conditions and missions. Carrying 10+2 people, the WhAP8x8 can be had in eight different variants depending upon the requirements.
On the other hand, the 4x4 Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) serves as a mine-proof troop transport vehicle. It is a law enforcement special response vehicle which can be used for counterinsurgency, or as an escort protection vehicle. The vehicle has a best-in-class ground clearance which enables an enhanced cross-country mobility. Its high power to weight ratio also lends better acceleration and maximum speed for quicker response during an emergency situation.
Apart from that, Tata Motors has also signed a military vehicle supply contracts with BIMSTEC Nations recently. It includes supplying Tata Xenon GS 800 to Myanmar, Tata Mine Protected Vehicles for UNIFIL, MONUSCO & MALI Missions, Tata 2.5T GS LPTA 715 4x4 to Myanmar and Thailand, Tata 5T GS LPTA 1628 4x4 to Nepal and Mission specific logistic vehicles for UN Peacekeeping missions.
Tata Motors so far has supplied over 1.5 lakh vehicles to the Indian Military, Paramilitary forces and Police Establishments since 1958. In addition to that, Tata is also a leading supplier of defence solutions to international organizations such as SAARC, ASEAN and other African regions. The Indian-bred company also supplies specialist vehicles for UN peacekeeping missions.
