India's Firepower Depends on Mobility From Trucks

The primary question that comes to mind when we think of India's ballistic strategic and other tactical missiles, or artillery rockets is that how mobile are these? That depends on how our missiles and rockets are transported using a Transporter, Erector and Launcher or TEL for short, reports GEOPOLITICS Bureau.

- Geopolitics Bureau

India's firepower capabilities are completely dependent for their mobility on trucks that help carry them into the battlefield. Be it a rocket or a missile, including the ballistic ones, India's victory in battle is depended on the weapons on wheels. And by that corollary, the command and control communication systems on board wheels.

In this compilation, Geopolitics bureau will bring you a glimpse of the kinds of trucks and vehicles used by the Indian armed forces, including the strategic forces command, to bring down its reign of fire upon enemy installations and troops. The primary question that comes to mind when we think of India's ballistic strategic and other tactical missiles, or artillery rockets is that how mobile are these? That depends on how our missiles and rockets are transported using a Transporter, Erector and Launcher or TEL for short.

TEL vehicles are the prime platforms, which carry ballistic missiles, around the country. In India, Agni series of missiles are usually seen on multi-axle tractor trailers, based on not-so-military grade trucks. But these trailers are not TEL. These are just display vehicles used in a military parade. These trailers are good to carry the heavy-duty cargo and machinery, but these are not good enough for all-terrain mobility.

TEL currently used by India are either based on Ashok Leyland tractor trailers for Agni I and II or Volvo tractor trailers for Agni III, Agni IV and Agni V series of missiles. This Tractor trailers are modified in house by DRDO to carry missiles and to launch, but trucks used are usually civilian variants procured directly from the truck manufacturers. Since Indian Agni missile series still lack canisters-based storage, it makes them more vulnerable to attacks, since they are easy to spot by the enemy and they cannot be easily moved around the country without been spotted.