Cars & Motorcycles used by the Indian Armed Forces | Safari to Fortuner

The Indian Army is not only one of the strongest but also the world’s third-largest armed force. But have we ever wondered what about the vehicles used by the Indian Army which helps our soldiers reach the toughest corners? In this article, we have listed 8 such vehicles used by the Indian armed forces.

1. Royal Enfield Bullet 500
   

   

   The name ‘Bullet’ and ‘Royal Enfield’ are not new for the Indian armed forces. Before becoming popular amongst west Delhiites Royal Enfield was the first and the oldest vehicle supplier to the Indian army. Their journey with the armed forces started in 1949 when just after the partition the Indian government was in dire of a tough and durable vehicle to protect their borders and since then the Royal Enfield Bullet has been an integral part of the Indian Armed forces. But, Sadly now the RE 500 has been taken off-duty and now is used by the highly reputed ‘Sweta Ashwa’ Parade team of the Indian army which also hold a Guinness World Record for balancing 48 people on a RE 500, Destroying the previous world record set by Brazil’s Army Corps.

   Read More: Mahindra Armoured Vehicles: The Indigenous Line of Defence

2. Maruti Gypsy
   

   

   The Maruti Gypsy has been an integral part of the Indian armed forces and is one of the most favoured vehicles of them all as the Maruti Gypsy is a light utility vehicle which makes it easy to handle in the tough mountainous terrains of Kashmir and the northeast. Additionally, the Gypsy also comes with a soft-top option allowing it to be converted into a moving recoilless gun carrier and can also accommodate fully armed soldiers at the back. However, there was one time when the Gypsy was replaced by the Tata Safari Storme but due to its heavyweight and bulky size the decision was then dismissed and the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy still is the Indian Army’s most preferred vehicle.

3. Mahindra Rakshak
   

   

   The Mahindra Rakshak is nothing but a heavily customised version of the Mahindra Jeep CJ7 off-roader. This heavy-duty vehicle has the power to neutralise various compact zone threats and can be mounted with an MMG and is cover by ballistic shield making it bulletproof on all four sides. Under its hood, the Rakshak comes equipped with a 2.5-litre diesel engine capable of generating 75 hp while paired to a 5-speed manual-shift four-wheel drive transmission system. This compact ready vehicle is mainly used for city combat operations, Patrolling in war zones and Riot Control.

4. Tata Safari Storme
   

   

   Well, this where the tough meets the Indian Army. The Tata Safari Storme GS800 has undergone a complete makeover and has been specially designed to meet the requirement of the Indian Army. Before taking it on-board the Indian army had specially appointed a batch of four highly skilled officers to test if this full-size off-roader was fit to join the Army. The car was tested for almost fifteen months on varied terrains across the country before it was commissioned into the forces. The Army version of the Safari offers a 60% higher payload, over 70% higher power and over 200% higher torque making it an ideal vehicle for high-altitude drives, traversing snow-bound regions, crossing deserts to the marshy lands.

   Sadly the Safari Storme army version was taken off duty due to its size and is now used as a staff car.

   Must Read: Indian Army Vehicles | Combat Ready!

5. Polaris Sportsman Big Boss 6×6
   

   

   The Polaris Big Boss 6×6 ATV has been an integral patrol vehicle of the Indian army in the northeast region and the extreme region. It is specifically built to carry small loads of cargo and supply essential during long patrol trips in combat zones. It can also adopt several configurations depending upon the mission at hand.

6. Toyota Fortuner
   

   

   The Indian army calls the Toyota Fortuner its bully machine all thanks to its rugged and big looks and just like the Tata Safari Storme the Army version of the Toyota Fortuner has also been specially designed according to the requirements. The army version comes equipped with the best-in-class radio communication equipment and is commonly used by the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) for patrolling. Under its hood, it features a 2755cc diesel engine capable of producing 174 hp with 420 Nm of peak torque.
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7. Mahindra Marksman
   

   

   Manufactured by Mahindra & Mahindra after the fateful 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The Marksman is currently used by Force One, Kolkata Police and the Indian armed forces. The Marksman has proved its utility in combat with a great performance during counter-terrorist operations not only the marksman is also used to transport soldiers from one point to another in combat zones.

   It comes fitted with a 2.6L turbocharged diesel engine that produces 150 bhp and 228 nm of torque, it can seat up to 6 personnel at a time. It has also got tyres installed with run-flat technology and can reach an impressive speed of 120 kmph. The Mahindra Marksman has found great success as an armoured vehicle for troops posted in conflicted areas such as Jammu & Kashmir.

8. Mahindra Axe
   

   

   This is Indian army vehicle innovated by Mahindra especially for corps of electrical and mechanical engineers and was unveiled as a replacement for the Windy 505. this state of the light combat vehicle comes equipped with a medium missile gun, a medium machine gun and a state of the art GPS.

   The Mahindra Axe light combat vehicle is a high-mobility fast-attack vehicle capable of operating in rugged terrain carrying surveillance equipment and armament.