The Mahindra Axe: India's upcoming Humvee-like "Light Specialist Vehicle"

[rajkhalsa]

Indian automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra recently unveiled the Mahindra Axe, a highly maneuverable, multipurpose vehicle indigenously designed for the Indian Army


^ The Mahindra Axe


The Axe is designed to replace the Indian Army's Mahindra Jeeps and to augment the "Windy 505" recce and combat support vehicle designed in-house


^ Mahindra Jeeps used by IA Para Commandos (old picture, now replaced by Windys)


^ Windy 505


Developed in a mere 36 months to fulfill the Indian Army "Light Specialist Vehicle" a la 'mini-Humvee' requirement, the rugged Mahindra Axe, unlike for example, the Arjun MBT, had Indian army involved in its design process from the get go.

Specs haven't been made public yet, but it has been tested with a variety of indigenous engines raging from 150hp to 300hp to 400hp. The Axe will come in both open and hard-top versions, capable of mounting light artillery.

It's currently undergoing army user trials in various terrains and weather conditions. The vehicle is stated for production in 2008, and will be produced in large amounts to sufficiently "dot the armyscape." Later, a civilian spin-off of the model will be sold

The IA officially confirmed previous news reports and confirmed the whole program a couple days ago without officially 'confirming' it by loudly and visibly "road testing" two prototypes not so discretely affixed with "ARMY TRIAL" signs in the Gurgaon suburb of Delhi, which were caught on camera by car enthusiasts

Here are the cellphone grabs, by Dhiraj of team-bhp.com automotive forum














It's to be noted that these aren't production models, but prototypes, so the final product could look different in fit and finish.

Supposedly Autocar India, India's largest automotive magazine, is doing a feature on them for their issue coming out tomorrow. I'm sure more details and pictures will be available then

Cheers,
Raj

[stuntman]

Is that nipple thing(on the hood) a IED jammer?

[rajkhalsa]

Actually, I think that may be the washer nozzle

These are the bare-bones trial prototypes used in development. I doubt anything fancy's going to be on them. I guess we'll have to wait for the weaponized production variants to really see what goodies they have.

Mahindra has been working with Israel's IAI/RAMTA, so a lot of co-developed systems may find its way onto the Axe

[stuntman]

Actually, I think that may be the washer nozzle

These are the bare-bones trial prototypes used in development. I doubt anything fancy's going to be on them. I guess we'll have to wait for the weaponized production variants to really see what goodies they have.

Mahindra has been working with Israel's IAI/RAMTA, so a lot of co-developed systems may find its way onto the Axe

lol I was actually joking.

But thanks for the pics it looks like a solid vehicle. I wonder if it will have a up armored kit.

[Moledet]

Actually, I think that may be the washer nozzle

These are the bare-bones trial prototypes used in development. I doubt anything fancy's going to be on them. I guess we'll have to wait for the weaponized production variants to really see what goodies they have.

Mahindra has been working with Israel's IAI/RAMTA, so a lot of co-developed systems may find its way onto the Axe

The entire vehicle was developed in Israel and offered to India by a private builder (Ido Cohen) that has a wide experience in developing rock crawlers.

[rajkhalsa]

Moledat, I do not believe that is true... sources please?

Mahindra has a long and successful record designing Jeeps and SUVs for military and civilian use. There's a lot of visible commonality between the Axe and a several of Mahindra's own SUVs. This definately wasn't a kit-buy.

The partnership I was talking about with Isreal concerned potential TOT of the RAM 2000 AMPV, which wasn't pursued, though co-development deals of vehicle specific technologies were discussed. Hence, the possibility of some Israeli input.


I guess we'll have to wait until that Autocar India article comes out.

[rajkhalsa]

lol I was actually joking.

But thanks for the pics it looks like a solid vehicle. I wonder if it will have a up armored kit.

Whew, yeah ok, thought so, but still didn't want to sound too surprised in my answer

[Moledet]

Sources are all in Hebrew, but there are pictures+videos of it from Israel.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...d.php?t=113847
Mahindra is just the manufacturer in this case.

[Chulo]

The entire vehicle was developed in Israel and offered to India by a private builder (Ido Cohen) that has a wide experience in developing rock crawlers.

doesnt India supply Israel with armored Jeeps and platforms?

[Moledet]

doesnt India supply Israel with armored Jeeps and platforms?

Not any that I know of, there are British, German, American and Israeli vehicles in the IDF.

[rajkhalsa]

Ah... fascinating

Thanks man. News reports said that the engine was developed by Mahindra... but they got the designer wrong, so I doubt they're that accurate. Have you heard anything about the engine being sourced from Israel as well?

[trex_05]

Ah... fascinating

Thanks man. News reports said that the engine was developed by Mahindra... but they got the designer wrong, so I doubt they're that accurate. Have you heard anything about the engine being sourced from Israel as well?

Mahindra developed AXE which is a derivative of its earlier version of jeep......IDI will come into scene for suppying on communication equipment and jammers stuff.....

[rajkhalsa]

Now that I think of it, all the Mahindra-designed parts are seem to be additions to the base Israeli design, hence some superficial resemblance to the some of their other SUVs.

[Moledet]

Ah... fascinating

Thanks man. News reports said that the engine was developed by Mahindra... but they got the designer wrong, so I doubt they're that accurate. Have you heard anything about the engine being sourced from Israel as well?

Israel doesn't make engines usually (apart of rocket engines), the engine in the Israeli version is TrailBlazer 2nd generation engine, it can be that India uses a Mahindra engine.

[rajkhalsa]

Israel doesn't make engines usually (apart of rocket engines), the engine in the Israeli version is TrailBlazer 2nd generation engine, it can be that India uses a Mahindra engine.

My dear Sir, I do think we have solved this riddle!