The plant is expected to be operational within a year and able to produce 100 combat vehicles yearly. The first WhAPs are expected to be deployed in 18 months. Limited quantities of these vehicles are now in use by the Indian Army and are stationed along the Ladakh border.

In a major success for the Make in India initiative, Indian firm Tata will build 150 Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) combat vehicles for the Moroccan defence forces.

“The contract has been signed between the Indian firm and Morocco for building 150 of these vehicles for their armed forces,” defence officials said. The WhAP vehicles were developed by the Vehicles Research and Development Establishment in partnership with Tata.

According to the contract, the vehicles will be supplied to the Moroccan forces over a period of three years. This will be the biggest contract for Indian-made armoured vehicles, both within and outside the country. The Indian paramilitary forces have also placed orders for the indigenous armoured vehicle.

Trials of the vehicle have been ongoing in Morocco for the last several months. The manufacturers will work closely with DRDO teams to provide input for upgrades to the vehicles during the supply period, officials said.

WhAP is an indigenously designed and developed amphibious wheeled combat vehicle. According to DRDO, the design philosophy of this platform aligns with global trends and focuses on modularity, scalability, and reconfigurability to adapt the platform for various roles. The WhAP can easily navigate through muddy or slushy terrain and has the capability to withstand mine blasts. Variants of the WhAP, including the Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV) and the paramilitary version, have been inducted into the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.

(With Inputs From Agencies)