Personal armoured vehicles at the 2012 Defexpo

Indian vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors is a strong player in the domestic defence vehicle field. Apart from all the big trucks with equally big weapon systems displayed at the 2012 Land, Naval and Internal Security Systems Defence Expo, Tata Motors also showcased the new Safari Storme Armoured. The armoured vehicle will be on sale to VVIPs for a price tag hovering around half a crore! 

The Safari Storme Armoured features ballistic protection that includes NIJ level III protection against 7.62 SLR rounds and ball ammunition. In other words, the vehicle can withstand rounds from an AK-47 fired from a distance of 10m at a piercing angle of 90 degrees. It also receives under body protection against explosion similar to that of 2 HE – 36 hand grenades.

All of the above means that the vehicle has received a significant amount of metal padding to keep its occupants secure under emergency situations. However, the padding has also added to the vehicle’s weight. The fact that the Safari Storme Armoured comes with the same powertrain with the same output as the normal Safari Storme means the 2.2-litre engine generating 142PS of power will no longer be as effective in terms of pulling power. 

However, it is claimed that the Safari Storme Armoured has a top speed of 150km/h as opposed to 160km/h of the standard vehicle. That’s not bad at all. In all, the armour has added 305kg to the vehicle and the power to weight ratio has dropped from 45PS per tonne to 42PS per tonne. 

Thankfully, the brakes of the Safari Storme Armoured have been beefed up to bring the 3 tonne plus amount of vehicle to a safe halt in the event of an emergency. 

Then there was the Safari Storme GS 4X4, which in essence is a stock Tata Safari Storme that will be used as a general service vehicle, escort vehicle, staff car and patrolling vehicle when the times are more peaceful. 

Tata was not the only Indian armoured vehicle maker present at the 2012 Defence Expo. A company called Indian Armour also showcased their Armoured Vehicle technology. The vehicle in question was a Toyota Land Cruiser LC200 that had Aramid fabric woven into composite armour panels that allow the panels to withstand multiple hits from armour piercing bullets and is much lighter and stronger than steel panels. 

The armoured Toyota Land Cruiser LC200 from Indian Armour sports glass panels with high temperature ballistic protection. The floor of the vehicle is reinforced with ballistic grade Kevlar and designed to absorb bomb and ballistic fragmentation. The armoured Toyota Land Cruiser LC200 also features run flat tyres that can travel up to 96km at speeds of 96km/h even after the tyre has been hit by bullets and punctures or burst. 

The front suspension of the vehicle has been replaced with custom coil over shocks fully tested in off-road conditions. The rear brakes have been improved to deal with the added weight. The bumpers of the vehicle have been reinforced to allow the vehicle to ram its way out of tough spots without causing in-operable damage. 

Ares Armouring was another vehicle armouring specialist present at the 2012 Defence Expo. They, too, had an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser LC200 on display, except this one was treated to a lot of bullets and an explosion. The vehicle looked knackered on the outside, but it was as good as new on the inside even after being subjected to some serious ammunition. 

At Ares Armouring, the armour is integrated into the vehicle’s cab so as to reduce offset in weight distribution caused by heavy armoured panels fitted to vehicles. Ares uses B6 grade armour using opaque and transparent materials that meet or exceed European norms

Ares Armouring vehicles can also be specified with the following optional equipment:

• Operable front door windows

• Police Siren

• Public address system

• Bull-bar

• Gun-points

• Communications equipment (VHF, UHF, satellite)

• Electronic Counter Measure Equipment (RF Jammer)

• Video recording/ surveillance equipment

• Higher ballistic protection

• Additional blast protection