Pune (Maharashtra), Aug 25 : As part of 'Make In India' initiative, Tata Motors on Saturday rolled out the 1500th GS800 Safari Storme (SUV) vehicle specially designed for Indian Army, an official said.
Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Tata Motors Vice-President (Defence & Government Business) Vernon Noronha flagged off the vehicles as part of a total 3192-vehicle order to the Army.
The Safari Storme GS800 4X4 is indigenously designed to meet the requirements of the Indian Army with a contemporary, highly reliable and sturdier diesel SUV with robust features and a minimum payload capacity of 800 kg.
The vehicles has undergone a rigorous trial of 15 months in varied terrains across the country, demonstrating its supreme performance, with capability of coping with on-road and off-road terrains.
Offering 60 per cent higher payload, 70 higher power and 200 per cent higher torque, the vehicle has been customized to endure severely rugged conditions ranging from high altitudes drives, snow-bound regions, crossing deserts or marshy lands, said Noronha.
The Safari Storme incorporates other special features like recovery hooks, jerry can and fog lamps to cater to Army requirements during missions, bucket seats and mobile charging point.
The low maintenance vehicle has heating and air-conditioning, demisting, power windows and accommodate six persons comfortably in the cabin.
So far, the past 60 years of its services to the defence sector, Tata Motors has supplied over 150,000 vehicles to the military and security forces, Noronha added.
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Surendranagar (PTI): As many as 25 weapons were seized and 21 persons detained in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district for allegedly obtaining arms licences from Nagaland and Manipur through suspicious means and buying firearms using them, police said Sunday.
Of the 21 detained, 17 bought 25 weapons worth about Rs 25 lakh, while others had only got licences made in their names, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nikunj Patel.
The official said that 14 of these firearm owners have antecedents, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion and mineral theft. A probe is underway to ascertain if the other three have any criminal history, he said.
The official said police recently got input that some persons in Surendranagar district had obtained arms licences from other states, especially two northeastern states.
Police subsequently identified 21 such persons who had got licences from Manipur and Nagaland through agents based in Gujarat, Haryana and the two north-eastern states with the help of bogus documents, the official said.
Using the licences, 17 of them collectively bought 5 pistols, 12 revolvers, and 8 Barbour rifles, from Gujarat and other states. Eight of these individuals kept two weapons each, he said.
“Further action has been taken by seizing the weapons and licences to conduct a thorough investigation into the suspicious licence issue,” said the official.
A team of the district special operations group was sent to the northeastern states to question people from whom licences were obtained, he added.