Kalyani Defence manufactured M4 armoured vehicle

New Delhi: Indian army handed over 159 indigenously developed vehicles and equipment to United Nations Peacekeeping for their United Nations Interim Security Force For Abyei (UNISFA_1), said an Indian army spokesperson in a tweet @adgpi.

Earlier, the Indian Army got sixteen "Made-in-India" armoured vehicles, 'Kalyani M4', for its United Nations peacekeeping deployment.

Some of these vehicles dispatched are made at Bharat Forge Limited, equipped with modern technology, and can withstand improved explosive blasts under the wheels. The vehicles are also quick-reaction fighting and can carry an infantry platoon of 20 to 25 personnel.

India has a long history of service in UN Peacekeeping, contributing more personal than any other country. More than 253,000 Indians have served in 49 of the 71 UN Peacekeeping missions established worldwide since 1948.

As a founding member of the United Nations, India strongly supports the purposes and principles of the UN. It has significantly contributed to implementing the Charter's goals and evolving the UN's specialized programmes and agencies.

As a strong votary of reformed multilateralism, India favours a comprehensive reform of the United Nations and its institutions to reflect 21st-century realities, thereby facilitating more decisive collective action.

In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent for the Formed Police Unit to the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

Medical care is among the many services Indian peacekeepers provide to the communities they serve on the organisation's behalf. They also perform specialized tasks such as veterinary support and engineering services.

India has also provided 15 Force Commanders to various missions and was the first country to contribute to the Trust Fund on sexual exploitation and abuse set up in 2016.

India also lost around 175 Indian peacekeepers in scattered peacekeeping operations while serving with the United Nations. India also is the second largest contributor, with approximately 5,500 troops.