THE PATH TOWARDS ENHANCED MOBILITY

While the Indian Army has a significantly large fleet of lorries and utility vehicles, there is a need to further augment the capabilities by adding the latest platforms with better fuel efficiency, faster speeds, and enhanced load-bearing capacities. A special report by AMARTYA SINHA

- AMARTYA SINHA

It is a widely recognised fact that quick mobilisation of manpower and equipment plays a pivotal role in deciding a nation's fate in the initial hours of a war. Trucks, all-terrain vehicles, utility vehicles and armoured cars along with engineering and support vehicles aid in rapidly mobilising infantrymen and weapon systems on the tactical-level battlefield.

Being a nation, which has a wide plethora of geographic terrains and is surrounded by a hostile neighbourhood spread across a vast expanse, India needs to maintain pace with the emerging geopolitical realities of South Asia. From the sandy deserts of Thar in the West to the mighty Himalayas in the North and Northeast, the Indian Army faces a massive challenge in managing logistics during unprecedented flare-ups on the borders. At a time when the government has decided to raise IBGS (Integrated Battle Groups) on the Western and Northeastern theatres, the requirement for cutting-edge and high-capacity mobility solutions is on the rise. While the Indian Army has a significantly large fleet of trucks and utility vehicles, there is a need to further augment the capabilities by adding the latest platforms with better fuel efficiency, faster speeds, larger wheelbases and enhanced axle-load bearing capacities.

Utility vehicles