DRDO, Mahindra Defence showcase advanced Wheeled Armoured Platform

PUNE: Defence Research and Development Organisation and Mahindra Defence have together developed the advanced version of the Wheeled Armoured Platform and showcased it at the Defence Expo being held in Pune from February 24 to 26.

“This vehicle was designed and developed by DRDO. This vehicle platform is a second-generation platform. It has multi-role capabilities. That means we can use the vehicle platform for a variety of roles. Right now, it is in CBRN mode. Similarly, we can use the same vehicle for the ICv role. That is an inventory combat vehicle, then an armoured person carrier, an APC role we can utilise, and many more. So regarding this vehicle, we have completed the development tiles for it. We have carried out trials and it has performed excellently well for the land mobility trials as well as water mobility trials that we have completed. A key feature of this vehicle platform is that it is very compact compared to its earlier generation. It is lighter, and it is well protected, I mean ballistic protection. We have increased. You can see the frontal shape and side stroke we have provided,” said Nilesh Patel, a DRDO scientist.

“This vehicle we can very well compare with all the vehicles worldwide available, particularly for the Striker. If we compare, this vehicle has a better power-to-weight ratio. That is, this vehicle has a 36 hp button. Ballistic and blast protection are modular in this vehicle, and the vehicle is ambitious, which may not be ambitious. So this is one of the key features. An ambitious vehicle with eight kilometres per hour of water speed,” added the DRDO scientist.

DRDO showcased the different types of rockets used by the Pinaaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system at the Expo. This includes the guided, extended range, and Pinaka-Mark 1 rockets.

Earlier, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary visited the ‘Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo’ in Pune and said that the time has come to move on to newer technologies and better quality radars and the Air Force will sign a new deal with L&T in a couple of days for the same.

“This requirement to maintain air defence coverage over the entire country has always existed. It is one of the major roles of the Air Force. We have had vintage equipment, now the high-power radar and the long-range radars have served us very well for many years. Now, the time has come to move on to newer technologies and better-quality of radars. So this new deal, which we are going to sign with L&T in a couple of days today, will open the way for a completely new technology in ground-based hyper radars,” he said.

The Air Chief Marshal was briefed on AI initiatives by the 12 Base Repair Depot for training Agniveers and giving context to the speech.

“They will fill the voids that have existed in some places in our air defence network, and overall, they’ll strengthen the air defence capabilities of the country,” he added.
Further, speaking on the closed-in weapon system, VR Chaudhary said that this system provides a wider link in the air defence network.

“The threats that we face today are from a very wide spectrum. Starting from small drones to hypersonic weapons. Having an air defence capability against this is always a challenge. Closed-in weapon system provides a wider link in the air defence network. We are signing a contract for 61 flights of this closed-in weapon system,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force’s Made in India Samar-II and Akash surface-to-air weapon systems are being showcased at the Defence Expo being held in Pune from February 24 to 26.

The Samar-II system had been developed using the R-27 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, which can now intercept targets at longer ranges than its previous version, the Samar-1 air defence missile system.