Tata to pitch trucks to Malaysian armed forces

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Vehicles major Tata Motors announced Monday that it has signed a cooperation agreement with a Malaysian firm to develop, promote and market the Indian company's high mobility military trucks for the Malaysian armed forces.

"Tata Motors and DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad, Malaysia, have signed a cooperation agreement to enable both Deftech and Tata Motors to develop, promote and market Tata Motors high mobility 4x4 trucks with payloads ranging from 2.5 tonnes to 5.0 tonnes for the armed forces of Malaysia," a Tata release said here.

In the initial stage, DEFTECH will be working on two of Tata Motors proven models -- LPTA 715 and LPTA 1623.

"These vehicles are suitable in various configurations including troop carriers, command post, ambulance, reconnaissance missions, as an armoured carrier communication shelter and others," the release said.

Tata Motors has been associated with the country's off-road defence and security forces since 1958 and has supplied over one lakh vehicles to the Indian military and paramilitary forces so far.

The company offers its products and services that not only meet the needs of the domestic market, but are also positioned to meet most stringent requirements across the world. Tata Motors exports its range of specialised defence vehicles to the South Asian, South East Asian and African regions.

Tata Motors also has multi-axle range such as 12x12, 8x8 and 6x6 trucks that it has started supplying to leading missile original equipment manufacturers across the world, the firm said.

The company is also a supplier of specialist vehicles for UN peacekeeping missions.