[neel385]

Originally Posted by Ragul

These types of news articles are motivated by the Arms lobby that wants India to continue spending on billion dollar imports and the agents that stand to lose kickbacks. Many defence journalists in India (and as already well know - academicians of South Asian and social studies) are unduly influenced by American or European think tanks by the lure of grants, a plush office or foreign junkets.

--R

While what yo say may be true in isolation, the state of DRDO perhaps does not warrant such speculation. No one is saying that indigenisation is not good. The point is that DRDO is not helping us do it. What is requires is a thorough revamp of the organisation as suggested in the Ramarao committee and a process that ensures that they deliver the goods instead of promising the moon and delivering little.

[anjan_c2007]

A Shaktiman advertisement from about a decade and a half ago.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

A Shaktiman advertisement from about a decade and a half ago.

Attachment 987981

The ad talks about their introduction on Delhi roads. True. Shaktimans were indeed inducted by Municipal Corporation Delhi in early 1990s. They were used as garbage carriers! The trucks failed miserably on Delhi roads. They suffered from frequent clutch failures in the stop-go Delhi traffic with which Tata and AL DTC buses coped quite well. There was no repeat order from MCD.

[Autokrat]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

A Shaktiman advertisement from about a decade and a half ago.

Attachment 987981

One of the reasons was probably also the vehicle emission requirements which were enforced from the early 90's. The shakthiman's were later repowered by engines from AL and discontinued some where in the late 90's.

Presently Vehicle Factory at Jabalpur assembles Army trucks from AL and Tata under license.

[MMV]

Seemingly within few years AC cabin for military trucks, ABS will become standard. AT variants also will be made available. On the new vehicle platform it seems the HMV super stallion 6x6 is scheduled for active military duty soon, but no word on the 8x8 variant.

Best,