BAE Systems and Larsen & Toubro Team Up to Bring BsV10 to India
BAE Systems and India’s Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) have partnered up to bring the BvS10 all-terrain vehicle into the Indian market. The companies signed a licensing and manufacturing agreement this week to offer the Articulated All Terrain Vehicle (AATV) to the Indian Armed Forces. A new variant of BVs10 has been upgraded to meet requirements of the Indian Armed Forces and will be known as the BV10-Sindhu. Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director for BAE Systems Hägglunds, told the press about the vehicle and the partnership with L&T:
“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…Our teaming with Larsen & Toubro gives us the opportunity to expand into the Indo-Pacific market.”
Executive Vice President & Head L&T Defence Arun Ramchandani added that “the BvS10-Sindhu is the ideal vehicle for the extremely challenging terrain and climatic conditions in which it is proposed to be deployed.”
The BsV10 has been used by the Royal Marines and the Dutch Armed Forces since 2005 after successful trails in 2001. More recently the French, Austrian and Swedish militaries have also adopted the vehicle, some have also been spotted in Ukraine being used by the 38th Separate Marine Brigade. The BAE brochure for the BsV10 describes the vehicle as an armoured, twin-body, amphibious vehicle that provides total operational support where other vehicles cannot.
The deal between BAE and L&T has been made possible under the ‘Make in India’ programme which was launched in 2014 by Prime Minster Narendra Modi. Under the programme numerous companies, including Lockheed Martin and Boeing, have partnered with local partners to introduce their own products into the Indian market. The BsV10 will under go trials in India later this month.