Kalyani Group’s flagship company, Bharat Forge Limited, and U.S. based AM General LLC, announced at the DEFEXPO 2016 their team to bid for India’s Light Specialist Vehicle (LSV) program using AM General’s battle-tested HMMWV as the LSV’s base platform, with final build and production to take place in India.
“The teaming between world renowned Light Tactical Vehicle provider AM General and Bharat Forge known for Manufacturing Excellence will lead to providing cost effective and best-in-class mobility solutions for Indian Armed Forces,” said Mr. Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Andy Hove, AM General President and CEO, said, “AM General is pleased to be teamed with The Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge to bring our proven light tactical vehicle solutions to India for military and paramilitary requirements. Bharat Forge has proven to be a world-class manufacturer, and we look forward to working together with them to deliver combat-proven mobility solutions to customers in India”.
The Indian Army has stipulated in its information request that the LSV needs to be capable of performing reconnaissance and patrol roles for all arms, provide space and cross mobility in all terrains (including high altitude and deserts) to small parties and teams (approximately six) and operate independently in the battle field. The team of Bharat Forge and AM General is uniquely qualified to fulfill all the requirements of the LSV program.
AM General’s unparalleled experience in designing and manufacturing military vehicle platforms and Kalyani Group’s engineering excellence and off-shore manufacturing capabilities together will provide significant discriminators in addressing the Indian Army’s LSV requirement. Additionally, with the Indian Armed Forces looking to rapidly modernize their protected wheeled vehicle fleet, there could be numerous additional opportunities for this team effort beyond the LSV program.