In a major boost for the defence export ambitions of India's private sector defence industry, the Kingdom of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces recently emerged as the maiden export customer for the indigenously developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP). The contract was formally announced by TASL this September. This is the first instance of an indigenously developed combat-ready 8X8 wheeled armoured vehicle having received an export order. Designed and developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), the WhAP is presently produced and marketed by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).
The WhAP is also being produced as an Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV) by TASL, which delivered the first batch of 8X8 IPMVS to the Indian Army in April 2022. The Wheeled Armoured Platform programme originally commenced in 2012 and was initiated by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to meet the need to develop a wheeled Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) that could be used over hilly terrain. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also inducted a paramilitary variant of the WhAP 8x8 into service.
Export Contender
This story is from the November 2024 edition of Geopolitics.
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This story is from the November 2024 edition of Geopolitics.
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