'It is India's first vehicle that can be driven on road, marshy terrain and in water as well.'
A hi-tech armoured vehicle, which can run on both road and water and also performs very well in mountainous terrain, has been added to the Central Reserve Police Force arsenal.
The 8-by-8 vehicle can carry 10 troops and a driver.
"It weighs about 24 tonnes and is eight metres in length and three metres in width," says senior CRPF officer Shish Pal.
It has a speed of 8 to 10 kilometres per hour in water. In normal terrain, it can drive at speeds up to 140 kilometres per hour.
The vehicle can move in rivers against the waves. It is fully bulletproof and mine-protected, Pal adds.
"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 tells PTI.
IMAGE: The Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform (WhAP) and Critical Situation Response Vehicles (CSRV), here and below.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: The WhAP is fully bulletproof and mine-protected. Photograph: ANI Photo
Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: It has an automated tyre-inflation system, a remote-control weapon system to fire a MMG (medium machine gun), which has extreme precision while targeting terrorists. Photograph: ANI Photo
Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: The CRPF demonstrated the vehicle's capabilities at Lethpora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: "It is India's first vehicle that can be driven on road, marshy terrain and in water as well," says senior CRPF officer Shish Pal.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: "It performs very well in mountainous terrain as well," Pal adds.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: "It weighs about 24 tonnes and is eight metres in length and three metres in width."
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: Two WhAP vehicles have been deployed in south Kashmir to aid anti-militancy operations, CRPF officials say.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: The vehicle can move in rivers against the waves.
Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
