Tata Motors has bagged an order to supply around 1,200 vehicles of its high-mobility 6X6 multi-axle trucks, from the Indian Army – the single largest order awarded to an Indian private original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in land systems under the DPP by the Indian army. The order for 6X6 vehicles is for ‘material handling cranes’ for the loading-unloading and transportation of ammunition pallets, spares and other operational equipment.

Developed indigenously, the Tata 6X6 high mobility all-terrain all-wheel drive vehicle has completed a total trial duration of 25 months, demonstrating maximum performance in the most demanding conditions. Designed to cope with extreme on or off-road loads, these vehicle have gone through trials like water-fording, on cross country terrains and plains and at Vehicle Research & Development Establishment’s (VRDE) torture track.

The Tata 6X6 is designed for easy operability. The vehicle is easy to maintain, due to accessibility to its aggregates. The vehicle is fitted with central tire inflation system (CTIS) for mobility in soft sand desert conditions. The CTIS allows the driver to adjust the tyre pressure from his seat. The system provides the vehicle with better traction on different types of surfaces, especially when carrying vital and heavy loads. The self-recovery winch assists in extraction of the vehicle (including other vehicles in the convoy) during operations. The vehicles cabin is modular with HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and is fully-ready for up-armouring. High ground clearance enables better negotiation of gradients, sand dunes, off-road terrains, trenches with higher water and mud fording capabilities, whilst carrying designated military payloads. The vehicle is also capable of achieving sustained speeds of 40 kmph, on severe cross country terrains.

Vernon Noronha, vice president, Defence and Government Business, Tata Motors said, “We at Tata Motors are extremely proud to have bagged the single largest order, among Indian OEM’s from the Indian army, for the most technologically advanced high mobility load carrier system ever built here in India. The order is a validation of our strategy and growth potential, for our durable and extensive range of defence vehicles, designed and developed with our evolving customers, including that of security forces across the world. As leading suppliers of mobility solutions to the country’s security forces, we will shortly commence delivery of these high-mobility vehicles”.

The Tata Motors 6X6 high-mobility multi-axle vehicles can be customised for a wide range of applications such as:

• CGT (Common Gun Tower)

• MBRL (Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher)

• MFU (Missile Firing Unit)

• MSV (Missile Service Vehicle)

• FSV (Field Service Vehicle)

• SRSAM (Short Range Surface to Air Missile)

• QRSAM (Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile) vehicle

• LLQRM (Low Level Quick Reaction Missile) vehicle

• MRV (Medium Recovery Vehicle)

Tata Motors offers its defence customers with a wide range of vehicles, in the light, medium and heavy category, having created a focused division to design and develop defence technologies and products, at its manufacturing facilities in Jamshedpur and Pune. Tata Motors also has a dedicated service team and network for defence products, across the length and breadth of the country. Through Horizonext, Tata Motors four-pronged customer-focused strategy, we have adopted a customer centric approach in the design and development of our mobile defence land solutions, that are reliable, offer optimum usability, and are easily serviceable, with technology at the forefront.

For self-reliance in the area of combat vehicles and engineering, Tata Motors has laid emphasis on the development of combat vehicle technologies and systems, with the aim of empowering our defence forces, with breakthrough technologies. The idea is to ensure high mobility, fire power and protection to troops during military operations, with world-class armoured fighting vehicles. Hence Tata Motors is strategically moving from a logistics support provider, to a combat vehicle player.

In combat vehicles, Tata Motors has designed and developed indigenously, the wheeled armoured platform (WHAP), an Indian armoured personnel carrier, designed for optimized survivability, all terrain performance and increased lethality. Tata Motors has also developed a light armoured multi-role vehicle (LAMV), a reconnaissance vehicle, combining vital operational pre requisites of mobility, protection and firepower. Equipped with modern observation, surveillance and communication equipment, the vehicle will provide our armed forces with a technological edge necessary to achieve superiority on the battlefield.

Tata Motors
15.07.2015