Lethpora: The CRPF on Saturday inducted WhAP vehicles, designed both for land and water operations in the Kashmir Valley, adding to the paramilitary force’s operational capabilities, officials said.
The force demonstrated the vehicle’s capabilities at Lethpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform (WhAP) vehicles have been deployed in south Kashmir to aid anti-militancy operations, the officials said.
The 8-by-8 vehicle is a state-of-the-art platform. It boasts contemporary features, optimised ergonomics, modular ballistic protection and is capable of carrying 10 troops and a driver.
The vehicle underwent complex tests before being inducted, the officials said.
“It is India’s first vehicle that can be driven on road, marshy terrain and in water as well. It performs very well in mountainous terrain as well,” senior CRPF officer Shish Pal told reporters here.
The vehicle has been developed by Vehicle Research and Development Establishment — a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organisation — and Tata Advanced Systems Limited.
“Its weighs about 24 tonnes and is eight metres in length and three metres in width,” he said.
The vehicle can move in rivers against the waves. It is fully bulletproof and mine-protected, Pal said.
“It has an automated tyre-inflation system, a remote-control weapon system (RCWS) to fire MMG (medium machine gun), which has extreme precision while targeting. It also has an automatic grenade launcher,” according to Pal, who added that the vehicle has a speed of 8-10 kilometres per hour in water. In normal terrain, it can drive at speeds up to 140 kilometres per hour.
Another senior CRPF official said the new technology will act as a force multiplier and morale booster.
The WhAP variant will provide a tactical advantage, the official said.
According to CRPF personnel, the WhAP vehicle lends a tactical advantage to the force.
“This vehicle has very advanced technology. We can launch an assault while sitting inside the bulletproof vehicle. This will help in anti-terror operations as we can get closer to targets where terrorists are holed up,” CRPF jawan Pratap Singh said.
