Saturday, August 29, 2009

DTN News: Mahindra-BAE Joint Venture On Marksman Light Armoured Vehicle To Counter Insurgency

DTN News: Mahindra-BAE Joint Venture On Marksman Light Armoured Vehicle To Counter Insurgency
*Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 29, 2009: India's leading military vehicle producer, Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS), has opened a 6-acre facility in Faridabad near here, where it will produce specialized vehicles for defense applications. Mahindra Marksman is India’s first armoured capsule based light bullet proof vehicle to provide protection to the personnel of Defence, Para Military and Police forces against small arms fire and under belly grenade attacks. It has capability to be used in counter terrorist as well as conventional roles. "The Mahindra Special Military Vehicles Facility will manufacture specialized vehicles for the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police and is also designed to undertake vehicle development, armoring and conversions," said Khutub Hai, chief executive of Mahindra Defence Systems.
The factory initially will build armored versions of Scorpio and Bolero special utility vehicles and Rakshak bulletproof vehicles, Mahindra said. Later, it will produce the Axe military vehicle as well as a mine-resistant vehicle that is part of Mahindra's joint venture with Britain's BAE Systems. The joint venture, which the Indian partner controls, is scheduled to begin production by June. Aside from manufacturing, Hai said, the plant has an advanced facility for research and development, product development, design and prototyping of vehicles to meet specific customer requirements - a first for the Indian defense industry's private sector. The new plant will include a prototype shop, a 40,000-square-foot armored vehicles production floor, and a fabrication area. It will roll out 500 uparmored vehicles per year, including bulletproof Scorpios, Boleros, Rakshaks, Tourister Buses, riot intervention vehicles and Marksman light armored vehicles. Mahindra Defence Systems, a division of the $6.7 billion Mahindra Group, is India's leading provider of high-mobility and light bulletproof vehicles to the Indian military, paramilitary and police forces.

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