Ashok Leyland will deliver 81 high-mobility 10x10 trucks for the Indian Army as chassis for its Russian-built Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket launchers (MBRL) and to carry strategic missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Ashok Leyland "Super Stallion" 10x10 truck (Picture source: Ashok Leyland)

“The delivery will start in this financial year and will be completed in the next financial year,” said Amandeep Singh, head of Defense, Ashok Leyland was quoted as saying by the Hindu last Sunday 29 July.

The Indian ministry of Defense launched a tender for these vehicles in 2015 and trials were completed by the end of 2017. In April 2018, Ashok Leyland was awarded a USD 14.5 million contract for 81 Super-Stallion 10x10 chassis by the Army to replace the Russian vehicles which currently carry the Smerch launchers. India initially procured two regiments of the 12-tube, 300 mm Smerch systems from Russia under a USD378 million contract signed in 2015, and later procured additional systems under a second deal in 2007. Each regiment has two batteries of six launchers each. The Smerch has a maximum range of 90 km.

The 10x10 Super-Stallion vehicle is powered by the Ashok Leyland 360HP Neptune engine and can carry a maximum payload of 27 tonnes at a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Some of the vehicles will be fitted with rocket handling cranes, the news daily reported.

Ashok Leyland also won a tender from the DRDO to develop an even heavier 12x12 vehicle to mount the country’s long range strategic missiles. These vehicles can carry a maximum load of 34 tonnes.