Tata Motors secures Army order for 1,200 high-mobility trucks

Tata Motors has bagged an order to supply around 1,200 of its high-mobility 6X6 multi-axle trucks, from the Indian Army, the single-largest order awarded to an Indian private OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in land systems under the DPP by the Indian army.

The Army has ordered for 1,239 of the 6X6 vehicles, which will be used for 'material handling cranes' for the loading-unloading and transportation of ammunition pallets, spares and other operational equipment, Tata Motors said in a release.

Developed indigenously, the Tata 6X6 high mobility all-terrain all-wheel drive vehicle has undergone 25 months of tough trials in most demanding conditions, demonstrating maximum performance.

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 VRDE's (Vehicle Research & Development Establishment) torture track, the release said.

The vehicle is easy to operate and maintain and is fitted with central tyre 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 vehicle 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 Limited, said, adding that the 6x6 truck is the most technologically advanced high-mobility load carrier system ever built in India.

Tata Motors Ltd is betting on the government's push for more local defence manufacturing to double revenue from its defence business over the next three years to Rs3,800 crore ($600 million), he said.

Tata and other groups, including Mahindra and Reliance are investing crores to build anything from armoured trucks, to guns and submarines, as they race to win a share of the roughly $100 billion in defence deals expected over the next decade.