First lot of light bullet proof vehicles delivered to Indian Air Force by Ashok Leyland.
On Friday, Hinduja flagship firm Ashok Leyland announced that it has delivered the first lot of light bulletproof vehicles to the Indian Air Force in association with Lockheed Martin.
These light bulletproof modern vehicles were delivered on April 13, 2021. In a regulatory filing, the company said that the Light Bullet Proof Vehicle (LBPV) is a modified form of Lockheed Martin's CVNG (Common Vehicle Next-Gen).
It has been built under the Transfer of Technology (TOT) from Lockheed Martin to Ashok Leyland. It has been developed in India and is completely indigenised, Ashok Leyland added.
LBPV has high off-road mobility in sand, rocks, mud, and shallow water. It can house a crew of 6 people with abundant cargo space to carry considerable mission equipment.
It further added, the vehicle also offers greater protection and combat capability and the crew is well protected from both ballistic and blast threats.
Ashok Leyland Managing Director and CEO, Vipin Sondhi said, "Supplying to the Armed Forces is a matter of pride for us. We are delighted to have the opportunity to be able to use our expertise in mobility in the service of our nation.” He further added, "This LBPV is another example of our team's capability combined with a strong sense of understanding of what is required in arduous conditions”.
Ashok Leyland COO, Nitin Seth said that the company's mobility solutions range from 4x4 to 12x12 for defence personnel and logistics, and they have demonstrated to be dependable partners across India's armed forces. He added, "Our relationship with Lockheed Martin started in 2014 with their CVNG Programme and under TOT transfer and we hope to develop many more products for India and export market on this platform”.