Mahindra to make India's own Humvee

Mahindra's LSV is an extremely agile combat vehicle with all round protection against small arms fire.
Ajai Shukla reports.

India's military is set to get its own version of the iconic US army's Humvee, the light tactical vehicle that came to symbolise battlefield mobility.

'The ministry of defence signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles (LSVs) to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22. The induction of vehicles is planned to be completed in four years,' the ministry stated.

'The LSV is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of medium machine guns (MMGs), automatic grenade launchers (AGLs) as well as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs),' the ministry added.

The LSV is indigenously designed and developed by Mahindra Defence Systems. It is an extremely agile combat vehicle with all round protection against small arms fire. It is intended to assist small independent detachments in the operational area.

Mahindra Defence Systems won the contest in which the defence ministry invited competitive bids from Indian companies in an open tender. The vehicles that were fielded, including the LSV, were put through gruelling trials under operating conditions, including high altitude, deserts, and plains.

'LSV is the only vehicle that passed all the field, ballistics, and technical trials,' Mahindra Defence Systems stated.

Mahindra Defence Systems has indigenously designed and developed the LSV with a modular design that it says 'makes it future proof.'

'Also, as the original equipment makers of the vehicle, MDS has the necessary intellectual property and capabilities in all aspects from development of the LSV variants to complete life cycle support,' Mahindra Defence Systems added.

'This contract truly signifies success of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative,' said Mahindra Defence Systems Chairman S P Shukla. 'It is the first major contract for the advanced armoured tactical vehicles that are designed and developed by the private sector with intellectual property rights within the country.'

'This contract paves the way for large scale adoption of Indian platforms with indigenous capabilities,' Shukla added.

One version of the Mahindra Defence Systems LSV is in service with an Indian battalion deployed on a UN peacekeeping mission in Africa. Other friendly foreign countries have sought details of this vehicle, indicating the export potential of this armoured vehicle developed and made in India.