Mahindra Defence starts deliveries of Armado 4x4 LSpV armored vehicle for Indian army.

According to a tweet posted by SP Shukla on June 17, Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) started deliveries of Armado, India’s first Specialist Vehicle designed, developed and built in the country for te Indian armed forces that should receive 1,300 of these officially designated Light Specialist Vehicles (LSpVs) from Mahindra Defence.
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First Mahindra Defence Systems Light Specialist Vehicles delivered to the Indian army (Picture source: Twitter account of SP Shukla)

The armored LSpV "Armado" underwent rigorous ballistic testing, including assessments against 7.62 x 51mm bullets and HE36 hand grenade blasts. It provides Level I ballistic protection, with the flexibility to upgrade to Level B7 and STANAG Level II standards. It successfully passed numerous survivability tests and played a vital role in the Government Defence Force's extensive 18-month test program.

Featuring a robust design, the Mahindra LSpV boasts a load-carrying capacity of 400 kg. Its storage area is specifically designed to accommodate various weapons. The Armado has a seating capacity of six passengers, including the driver, and can be configured to seat up to eight. Powering the vehicle is a Steyr 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder multi-fuel turbodiesel engine that delivers 215hp at 3,600 rpm and a peak torque of 500Nm (it that can run on NATO-grade diesel). The engine is paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission, with the option of a 6-speed automatic available.

The Mahindra LSpV offers a generous payload capacity of 1,000 kg and incorporates advanced features such as a central tire inflation system that adheres to the FINABEL standard, complete with a 50 km run-flat capability across all the 318/80 R17 tyres. Its all-wheel independent suspension system, sourced from Bilstein, ensures superior handling and stability. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with a self-recovery winch. With a top speed of 120 km/h and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h in approximately 12 seconds, the Mahindra LSV delivers excellent performance. Interestingly, the LSpV can be configured to be either left-hand drive or right-hand drive.

The vehicle also gets a public address (PA) system, GPS, automatic grenade launcher, HF/UHF/VHF radio as well as a self-cleaning-type exhaust scavenging and air filtration system for extremely dusty climates.The Armado is designed to be a modular type vehicle that can be upgraded or configured to suit a wide variety of operational roles.

Ceremony at Mahindra Defence Systems' plan for the delivery of the first lot of LSpV Armados to the Indian army (Picture source: Twitter account of SP Shukla)

Mahindra's LSpV was displayed at IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Defense News June 2023