Army Chief inducts indigenously developed specialised vehicles in Army

Pune, April 13: Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane inducted various indigenously developed specialised military vehicles and an Ultra Long Range Observation System into the Army at a ceremony held in Pune.

 

The Army Chief, accompanied by Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Manoj Pande, is on a two-day visit to Pune. At a function organised at the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) and Centre on Tuesday, the Army Chief inducted the first set of indigenously developed Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicles (IPMVs), including the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle (QRFV) and the Ultra Long Range Observation System developed by Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL), and Monocoque Hull Multi Role Mine Protected Armoured Vehicle developed by Bharat Forge.

 

“The COAS appreciated Tata and Bharat Forge for their commitment in strengthening the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of Government of India and continued engagement with the Indian Army for the past decades. The induction of these indigenously-developed systems by TASL and Bharat Forge will greatly enhance the operational capabilities of Indian Army in future conflicts,” read a press statement from the Indian Army.

 

A statement from the TASL said, “In addition to supply, TASL will also provide 24×7 support to maintain the vehicles… The IPMV is a co-development project with the DRDO.”

 

 

The statement quoted Sukaran Singh, managing director and chief executive officer, as saying, “The successful delivery of IPMVs is a major milestone for TASL and the Indian defence manufacturing sector as it marks the first commercial sale of a strategic platform that has been co-developed by DRDO and a private player. TASL has achieved this milestone after withstanding the challenges and delays caused by the pandemic, which makes the achievement even more remarkable for us.”

The IPMVs have been developed and manufactured at TASL’s Pune facility. These vehicles have been built on the strategic 8×8 Wheeled Armoured Platform indigenously designed and developed by TASL, along with the Vehicles Research and Development Establishment , an Ahmednagar- based facility of the DRDO.