Tata is testing its upcoming Merlin Light Support Vehicle, GaadiWaadi reports. Recently, the manufacturer won the contract of supplying the Indian Armed Forces with the Tata Safari Storme. The new Light Support Vehicle (LSV) is likely to be called Merlin has been spotted frequently testing under the heavy camouflage on the Indian roads and was last spotted doing high altitude testing in India.
Tata Light Support Vehicle, expected to be named Merlin (Picture source: MotorBeam)
Tata Motor’s official website has revealed a few details about the upcoming vehicle. It gets STANAG 4569 Level-1 protection on the sides and rear. It is one of the highest rated protection according to the NATO standards. The Level-1 protection that the vehicle gets can save the occupants from artillery splinters, grenade and mine blasts. It absorbs the kinetic energy to keep the occupants safe. The vehicle is powered by a 3.3-litre liquid-cooled, direct-injection diesel engine. The common rail turbo-diesel engine produces a maximum of 185 Bhp at 3,200 rpm and a peak torque of 450 Nm at 2,400 rpm.
The Merlin is a 4x4 vehicle equipped with run-flat tyres associated to a central tyre inflation system. Also, there is a self-recovering winch. It also gets the independent suspension on all the wheels.
In the stock form, the Merlin gets a 7.62mm medium machine gun turret on the roof and a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. There are anti-tank missiles installed on the vehicle too.
