In news : Recently, the Indian Army ordered an emergency procurement of M4 armoured vehicles, which were tested in Ladakh during the standoff with China, from the Pune-based defence company Bharat Forge of the Kalyani group.
About Kalyani M4 armoured vehicle
- M4 vehicles will be built at the company’s Pune plant
- It is a multi-role platform, designed to meet the requirements of the armed forces for quick mobility in rough terrain and in areas affected by mine and IED threats.
- M4 has ballistic and blast protection from up to 50 kg TNT side blast, or IED or roadside bombs due to its design that is built on a flat-floor monocoque hull.
- It is built on a flat-floor monocoque hull and has a thrust speed of 140 km per hour
- The vehicle has a payload of 2.3 tonnes and an operating range of about 800 km.
- The M4 is an original product of the South African arms firm Paramount Group but has been fine-tuned for Indian conditions by Bharat Forge.
Other competitors with M4
Mahindra Marksman
- The Mahindra Marksman is India’s first armoured capsule-based light bulletproof vehicle to provide protection to the personnel of defence, paramilitary and police forces against small arms fire and grenade attacks.
- It has capability to be used in counter terrorist as well as conventional roles
- It is a light armoured personnel carrier built on a monocoque design.
- It provides B6 level ballistic protection for up to 6 (4+2) against defence, paramilitary and police personnel.
Tata Kestrel
- It is a modern armoured personnel carrier developed by Tata Motors and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
- It is designed and manufactured in the way of various western APC designs
- It was developed with the intention to replace age-old Soviet era BMPs and APCs in service with the Indian Army.
Aditya MPV
- Aditya is the first version of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected-type vehicle used by the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force as an armored personnel carrier to transport personnel with protections from explosives and small arms fire.
- The MPV’s construction was based on the Casspir Mk II, which India used in the 1990s
- Aditya was built to withstand TNT and other types of explosives for up to 14 kg under the wheel and 10 kg under the hull