TATA Motors seem to be gradually entering the lucrative Indian defence industry. Recently at the BIMSTEC Army Chief’s conclave in Pune, Tata Motors displayed two indigenously developed defence vehicles which included 4X4 Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) and the WhAP 8×8 Infantry Combat Vehicle.
The TATA WhAP 8×8 is India’s first infantry combat vehicle (ICV) which is developed for greater resistance to attacks and all-terrain manoeuvrability. The ICV is jointly developed by TATA Motors and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The TATA WhAP 8×8 comes with safety features such as blast and ballistic protection, along with NBC protection. The ICV is a low maintenance vehicle with a seating capacity of 10+2 and the vehicle can be quickly modified to cater to different terrains and conditions.
The TATA WhAP 8×8 comes in various variants such as Armoured Fighting vehicles, CBRN vehicle, Recce & Support vehicle, Medical Evacuation vehicle, Engineer Squad vehicle, Mortar Carrier, Commander’s vehicle and Anti-Tank Guided Missile vehicle.
The TATA 4×4 Mine Protected Vehicle is designed to serve as a mine-proof troop transportation vehicle, an escort protection vehicle or a law enforcement special response vehicle. The MPV features best-in-class ground clearance and the high power-to-weight ratios offer enhanced acceleration and maximum speed.
TATA Motors has also signed vehicle supply contract with BIMSTEC to supply TATA Xenon GS 800 to Myanmar TATA 2.5T GS LPTA 715 4×4 to Myanmar and Thailand, TATA 5T GS LPTA 1628 4×4 to Nepal and mission specific logistic vehicles for UN Peacekeeping missions.
