There’s something about military vehicles which makes us civilians want one. It could be living the dream of being a part of the armed forces, or just the pleasure of piloting a massive, mean-looking and seriously rugged vehicle which intimidates all the soft machines on the road. It’s not for nothing that the Humvee still reserves its place on bedroom walls. And not the H2. The H1. But what we’re on about here is the Mahindra ALSV. A Light Armored Specialist Vehicle built for use by military and defence forces. It’s designed to be a modular type vehicle allowing for efficient maintenance and it can be upgraded or configured in the field for a wide variety of operational roles.
The ALSV offers ballistic protection up to B7, STANAG Level II. It is ballistic protected & tested against 7.62 x 51mm ball rounds and HE36 hand grenades. It can be specced with clamshell doors for added survivability in ambush situations and has been a part of an 18 month-long and extensive trial & test program by Government Defence Forces. The ALSV provides protected mobility for the front, side and rear as per STANAG Level I Ballistics and Blast for four crewmembers with battle load having ample stowage space for arms and ammunition inside the crew compartment and additional 400 Kgs cargo load-carrying capacity. It can also be upgradable up to STANAG – II Ballistics.
Also Read: The Mahindra Marazzo And Its Attributes As A Long-Distance Vehicle
The Mahindra ALSV is powered by a 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder STEYR engine which cranks out 215 HP, 500 Nm. It is a multi-fuel diesel engine paired with 4/6 Speed Automatic Transmission which transmits power to all four wheels with front and rear differential locks. The ALSV has a 1,000 Kgs payload capacity, self-recovery winch, and high travel all-wheel independent suspension from Bilstein with central type inflation system.
It features a self-cleaning-type exhaust scavenging and air filtration system for extreme dusty climate, which makes it ideal for deserts. Its maximum speed is nearly 120 kmph and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph in 12 seconds. The ALSV has 30-degree gradability with parking brake holding capacity in full GVW, and 50 Kms run-flat system on all five wheels as per FINABEL standard.
Suitable for heavy duty continuous operation in dusty and high temperature environment, this armoured Mahindra features a roof-mounted traversing Gun hatch/ turret with which can rotate 240° for Medium Machine Gun (MMG and ATGM (Anti-tank guided missiles), an Automatic Grenade Launcher Mount (ATGM) and Air Filtration System with exhaust scavenging. The ALSV is available in both RHD and LHD variants.
