Defense Land Systems India, a joint venture between Mahindra & Mahindra and BAE Systems, that will soon be operational, unveiled its frst product, Mine Protected Vehicle India (MPVI), at the ongoing 'DefExpo 2010' in New Delhi.

The MPVI has been developed specifically to meet the needs of the Indian armed and paramilitary forces, and is based on technology developed by BAE Systems.

The vehicle will be built in India and will offer a high level of protection at a cost effective price, said a top company official.

The MPVI features a large seating capacity (18 seats) capable of safely transporting a complete operational team of Army or Police forces involved in anti terrorist and anti Naxal operations, said Brig (Retd) Khutub Hai, chief executive, Mahindra Defence Systems, while unveiling the vehicle at the defence expo.

"With enhanced protection technologies, the new vehicle provides the highest levels of crew protection available in India today. The high power to weight ratio and very high torque makes the vehicle suitable for Indian terrain, especially the mountainous region of Jammu and Kashmir and the rough topography of the Naxal dominated areas."

“Designed to save the lives of our Defence forces when they encounter mines and roadside bomb attacks, the MPVI  will be our first new product offering from the joint venture company," Khutub Hai said.

"Using technology proven in BAE Systems’ RG series of vehicles and Mahindra's expert knowledge of Indian requirements and conditions, we are proud to provide the Indian Defence sector with advanced yet affordable technology," he added.

Andrew Gallagher, president, BAE Systems India, said: “We are extremely proud to unveil the joint venture’s very first product which has been tailor made for the Indian armed forces.

The MPVI is based on BAE Systems’ three decades of protection experience that resulted in the highly successful RG 31 which has a proven track record and is currently in service with US, Canadian, UAE and a number of other forces including the UN.”

The MPVI will be manufactured at the Defense Land Systems, India plant at Prithla near Faridabad, he added.-TradeArabia News Service