Indian Peacekeeping forces, recently, left for Abyei, the disputed area on the border between South Sudan and Sudan, as part of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) with ‘Made In India’ armored vehicles. These vehicles will be used by the Indian troops to patrol in their areas of operation.
As per a statement by an Indian Army official, “Reaffirming India’s commitment to global peace and security, an Indian Army battalion equipped with indigenously developed State of the Art equipment, including QRFV M4 Armoured Personnel Carriers and TATA Xenon light vehicles, is being deployed for the first time in Abyei, South Sudan.”
Reports suggest that the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle (QRFV) and Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicles (IPMVs) were developed by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), while the multi-role mine protected armoured vehicle with a monocoque hull was developed by Bharat Forge. The IPMVs is said to include TASL’s in-house designed and developed remote-controlled weapon station with thermal sights and external add-on armour protection panels developed by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory of the DRDO.
These vehicles were recently inducted by the Indian Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Naravane and Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande at a ceremony in Pune. The induction of these vehicles is bound to significantly increase the patrolling and operational capabilities of Indian troops.
