Ashok Leyland Defence Systems Ltd and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, Germany, will work together to develop Defence systems for India and international markets.

According to a press release from Ashok Leyland, the agreement was finalised today at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) at Abu Dhabi. The two companies will co-operate in the development of advanced Defence systems for the Indian Defence establishment and other Defence forces worldwide.

They will initially work on development of products such as armoured wheeled vehicles, recovery vehicles, artillery and combat systems and bridge laying systems.

Ashok Leyland Defence Systems (ALDS), a newly formed company in which the Hinduja flagship company, Ashok Leyland, has 26 per cent equity, brings the expertise and experience of designing and developing Defence vehicles. It is the largest supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army with over 60,000 Stallion vehicles forming a part of the Army's logistics.

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) will provide the technology and the technical assistance for the development of these Defence systems. The 170-year-old company is a market leader in highly protected armoured wheeled and tracked vehicles. The armed forces of over 30 nations rely on their systems such as the MBT LEOPARD 2, the artillery system PzH 2000 or the highly protected DINGO 2.

The release quoting Dr V. Sumantran, Chairman, Ashok Leyland Defence Systems, said the partnership brings together the technological bandwidth of KMW and Ashok Leyland's innovations aimed at cost advantage and expands ALDS' product opportunities.

Mr Frank Haun, CEO and President, KMW, said in the release the partnership will support KMW's plans to internationalise its business.

ALDS has embarked on a range of new developments, including Defence logistics vehicles, tactical vehicles and Defence communication systems.

KMW leads the European market for armoured wheeled and tracked vehicles. At locations in Germany, Brasil, Greece, the Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey and the US over 3,500 employees manufacture and support a product portfolio ranging from air-transportable, heavily armoured wheeled vehicles (MUNGO, AMPV*, DINGO, GFF4 and BOXER*) through reconnaissance, antiaircraft and artillery systems (FENNEK, GEPARD, LeFlaSys*, Armoured Howitzer 2000, AGM and DONAR) to heavy battle tanks (LEOPARD 1 and 2), infantry fighting vehicles (PUMA*) and bridge laying systems (LEGUAN).

KMW also has wide-ranging system competence in civil and military simulation, command and information systems and remote-controlled weapon stations with reconnaissance and observation equipment for day and night missions.

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