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Tata Motors is the biggest name in commercial vehicles in the country, along with which it has also proven to be a reliable supplier for defence forces. And now a new light support vehicle has been spotted and it sure does look tough. The image of the vehicle, which some sources say will be called Merlihn, was taken by a TeamBHP reader. This is the third time the defence vehicle has been spotted. It was first seen on the Mumbai-Pune highway and then during a high altitude test. (Image: TeamBHP)
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As per Tata Motors' official website, The vehicle is armoured with STANAG 4569 Level-1 protection on the sides and the rear. STANAG 4569 is one of NATO standards for the "Protection Levels for Occupants of Logistic and Light Armored Vehicles". Level 1 armour can cover strikes from kinetic energy, artillery, grenade and mine blast.
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It is powered by a 3.3-litre water-cooled, direct injection, common rail turbo diesel engine, which produces 185 bhp at 3,200 rpm and 450 Nm torque at 2,400 rpm. It is also equipped with a turret on the roof for a 7.62 mm medium machine gun, 40 mm automatic grenade launcher and anti-tank guided missile. (Image: TeamBHP)
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The 'Merlin' has other safety features such as run-flat tyres with CTIS (Central tyre inflation system) and a self-recovery winch.
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For braking, it is equipped with hydraulic brakes with vacuum assisted brake boosters on all wheels. The suspension on the defence vehicle functions independently.
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