The Hindu Business Line
Co also in race for infantry combat vehicle deal Hinduja group company Ashok Leyland has developed the next range of its flagship defense vehicle Stallion to take on heavier payloads. The company will promote what it calls the Super Stallion in the next five years.
“The Stallion is a stalwart in our fleet … with a strong presence in logistics and military applications. We are the largest private-sector supplier to the armed forces through the strength of the Stallion. We have now developed the next range Super Stallion on the Rhino platform. This is something we will get out aggressively in the next five years,” said Mr. V. Sumantran, Chairman, Ashok Leyland Defense Systems, the defense arm of the group.
Currently, around 65,000 Stallion 4-by-4 (a vehicle wherein all four wheels are powered simultaneously) and a few six-wheel vehicles are in use by the Indian army with payloads of 2.5 to 7.5 tons.
The Rhino model will be six- and eight-wheel driven and meant for heavier payloads — 8-10 tons.
Armored carrier
“All kinds of payloads can be used on the Super Stallion for applications such as airport security and protected cover,” said Mr. Sumantran.
With contracts worth Rs 45,000 crore to be awarded over the next 10 years, the defense sector is a potential landmine for Ashok Leyland Defense.
Apart from Stallion, Ashok Leyland Defense develops lighter armored vehicles in partnership with a French company. It is now building a vehicle that will protect occupants from IED (improvised explosive device) attacks.
“Today, we have terrorists who have access to more than mines. And, IEDs come from the sides not the bottom. So, there is a need to protect occupants from the sides and bottom. This requires a highly protected cage with special technology.” Ashok Leyland is developing this product for the Indian army. It is also keen to find opportunities overseas.
The company is working on fully armored personnel carriers with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann from Germany. “We plan to showcase a few of these vehicles at the Defexpo,” said Mr. Sumantran.
Ashok Leyland, in partnership with L&T, is one of the four firms in the race for the $10-billion futuristic infantry combat vehicle contract. “The design, development and testing will take six years. This is a huge investment for the future.”