Bharat Forge is poised well to bag big defence contracts. Sumesh Soman looks at the Kalyani Maverick in its portfolio and what makes the ATC hold its own.

Bharat Forge through its wholly-owned subsidiary company Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. is positioned well to bag big defence contracts. A testimony to this is the Kalyani Maverick ATC, an Armoured Troop Carrier (ATC) whose successful trial is known to have been completed in FY2021. The trial deserves a special mention given that it is known to have been conducted in unfavourable conditions across the length and breadth of the country as part of the overall Group trials. From Leh (vehicle) in North to Trichy (small arms) in the south; from Pokhran (CIWS) in the west to Sikkim (ATAGS) in the east; overland (Artillery Gun, Vehicles, CIWS etc.), sea (Torpedo homing heads) and air (UAVs). Following its first public experience at DefExpo2020, it was recently displayed again at the International Police Expo 2021 (Watch out for the detailed report in the 15th Anniversary Issue of CV Ma).

The Maverick on first impressions holds its own! The appearance follows the first public appearance at the DefExpo2020. Since then the Kalyani Maverick has been proving its mettle across expos and exhaustive trials. The ATC is an outcome of the group company’s metallurgical knowledge, design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. The Maverick is capable of moving up to 11 troops with a high level of ballistic protection across rough terrain. The company claims it offers very high levels of ballistic and mine protection. It is rated for crew compartment ballistic protection STANAG 4569-Level 3 and blast protection STANAG 4569-Level 4. It is built to safeguard the troop onboard from a 50 Kg TNT side blast or from IED/roadside explosives made possible by a smartly engineered flat-floor monocoque hull design.

The Maverick measures 6096 mm in length, 2560 mm in width and 2987 mm in height. An over 304 mm ground clearance with an approach angle of up to 30-degrees and a departure angle of 28 degrees makes it a capable vehicle. The capability is also defined by a six-cylinder turbo diesel engine housed in the monocoque hull chassis. It develops a rated peak power of 280 hp with the torque maxing out at 970 Nm. The engine is mated to an automatic six-speed transmission. Claimed to offer a superior mobility experience, a burst can lead to the Maverick attaining a top speed of 110 kmph. Braking duties are done by disc brakes and it runs on 20-inch tyres. The Maverick is capable of clocking 700 km on a full tank. The sticker price of rupees three crores allow for customisation too.

The ATC is fully customisable courtesy of an open architecture design. This is evident in ingress that opens up to a large internal volume behind the rugged exterior. The Maverick can double up as a promising riot control vehicle and makes for a strong contender for border control and security fleet. In collaboration with BEML, the company is known to have developed mounted gun systems for 4×4 platforms such as the Maverick, and capabilities in areas of manufacture and supply of power train aggregates besides the critical armoured machined forgings.
The Maverick is available in three variants christened STANAG I, STANAG II and STANAG III.

The variants differ on account of parameters like the Gross Vehicular Weight (GVW) and the side impact withstanding capability. For instance, STANAG I weighs all of nine tonnes and boasts of a 10 Kg TNT side bast resistance. The STANAG II weighs 11-tonnes and shares the impact resistance with the STANAG I. The STANAG III weighs 14-tonnes and offers a 50 Kg TNT side blast resistance. In a commonality, all variants feature a 13 kW air conditioning system and a 24V electrical system. The cabin and switches on first look are fairly spartan keeping in mind the rough and rugged application of the vehicle. There is an additional generator integrated into the vehicle system for emergencies. Additional features include run-flat inserts, which allows the Maverick to move unhindered even on flat tyres. The Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS) allows for unique value addition of inflating the tyres from within the cabin. In keeping with its pedigree, onboard inclusions cover a radio frequency transmission and an interception, an intercom system, a Public Address System (PAS), a fire suspension system, GPS tracking, a driver assist camera system and a 360-degree camera to name a few.

The company is already known to have received an order from the Indian Army for the supply of a protected armoured vehicle, Kalyani M4. The company is banking on its strategic investments, acquisitions in defence technology start-ups and Defence Incubation Centers, with mentoring from foreign technology experts known to have strengthened the Group capabilities. With products like the Maverick, Bharat Forge aspires to emerge as a strong defence product supplier in India and globally for which it shared plans of setting up a mega facility in FY21. It has also acquired a land parcel in Khed SEZ, about 45 kms from Pune.