Articulated All-Terrain Vehicles

Context

Recently, the Indian Army has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for the supply of Articulated All-Terrain Vehicles to be deployed in Ladakh and Kutch.

• An RFI is a formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers of a good or service.
• The RFI document specifies that 12 vehicles need to be supplied to Nimu in Ladakh and six to Bhuj in Gujarat.

What are Articulated All-Terrain Vehicles?

• Articulated All-Terrain Vehicle is a twin cabin, tracked, amphibious carrier for off road mobility.
• The special design of this equipment exerts low ground pressure on the soil and a pull-push mode of locomotion between two cabins facilitates mobility over varied terrains like snow, desert and slush.
• A ballistic protection in the cabin body ensures protection to troops travelling in it from small arms fire.
• These vehicles are very useful to move troops or supplies in snow-bound terrains and in marshy/sandy environments. 
• They can reach where wheeled vehicles cannot due to deep snow, slush or marshy terrain and can be very effective for patrolling and rapid deployment in operational situations.

Manufacturers of such vehicles

• There are several Western manufacturers of Articulated All-Terrain Vehicles including Canada and Finland.
• The NASU vehicle of Finland is used by the Finnish, French, Belgian and US Armies among others.
• The Bandvagn 206 is used by the Swedish Army and was developed by a Swedish Company which is now part of BAE Systems, Platforms and Services. 
• The British and US militaries also use the Bandvagn 206.
• The Russian Army uses the DT-30 Vityaz vehicle and GAZ 3344 manufactured in the country.