BAE Systems partners L&T to build BvS10 all-terrain vehicle in India
BAE Systems Inc has signed an agreement with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to offer its articulated all-terrain vehicle (AATV), the BvS10, for an Indian Army acquisition programme.
An “articulated vehicle” consists of two or more separate frames connected by suitable couplings. It has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint, which allows it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds of articulated vehicles, including buses, trams and trains.
L&T will be the prime bidder, with the support of BAE Systems Hägglunds, the Swedish manufacturer of the successful BvS10 family of vehicles. BAE Systems and L&T have upgraded the BvS10 to meet the Army’s requirements.
The variant being offered to India will be known as the “BvS10-Sindhu”. The AATV programme aims to deliver vehicles from L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex, Hazira, along with an integrated logistic support (ILS) programme.
“Our BvS10 all-terrain vehicle will demonstrate the critical capabilities the Indian Army needs when it participates in the trials later this month. Unsurpassed mobility, flexibility and the ability to work in extreme climatic conditions are at the core of the BvS10 design,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, who heads BAE Systems Hägglunds.
“Our teaming with L&T gives us the opportunity to expand into the Indo-Pacific market,” he said.
L&T sees this as an opportunity to build its armoured systems business in partnership with BAE Systems’ experience and its strong manufacturing and design base. “The BvS10-Sindhu is the ideal vehicle for the extremely challenging terrain and climatic conditions in which it is proposed to be deployed,” said Arun Ramchandani of L&T Defence.
The BvS10 vehicle on display at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in London this week features a mobile short-range air defence system (MSHORAD) configuration. This demonstrates the versatility of the vehicle and its ability to evolve into a modular fighting platform that can carry a broad array of payloads.
The vehicle’s articulated design provides manoeuvrability across varying terrain, including snow, ice, rock, sand, mud, swamps and steep mountains, while its amphibious features allow it to swim in flooded areas or coastal waters.
The modular design allows the BvS10 to be reconfigured for varying missions that include transporting personnel, command and control, ambulance service, vehicle repair and recovery, logistics support, situational awareness, as well as vehicle-mounted lethality and support systems.
The vehicle is currently in service with the militaries of Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, while it is on order for the German Army. BAE Systems’ Beowulf, the unarmoured variant of the BvS10, won the US Army’s competition for its Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) programme in August. The US Army will receive 110 vehicles over a five-year period.