Indian Army to Phase-out Maruti Gypsy with Scorpio or Safari
The Indian Army has been the biggest Maruti Gypsy buyer, and now it has decided to phase-out Gypsy from its inventory. Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari are now fighting to replace the vehicle under a project expected to cost more than Rs. 3,000 crore.
Over 25,000 Maruti Gypsy units are already in service and are used for all light vehicle operations including counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. Army officials said that the summer trials of military versions of Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari will be conducted in Jodhpur in Rajasthan next week, while the winter trials will be organised in Sikkim by the end of this year.
One of the reasons behind the removal of petrol power Gypsy from Army operations with the diesel engine cars is the rising petrol prices. The Indian Army requires more than 30,000 new light utility vehicles with 4x4 drives and has plans to start the phase-out of Gypsy by 2017. The inclusion of these 30,000 new utility vehicles would be done in a phased manner, and the whole process is likely to be completed by the next 15-20 years.
The tender issued by the Indian Army for the procurement has stated that it wants general service vehicle with an overall weight of around 800kg powered by a diesel engine, which should be Bharat Stage III and IV compliant.
Source : ET
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