Pakistan develops APC variants
Joshua Kucera JDW Staff Reporter
Karachi
Pakistan has continued its development of armoured personnel carrier (APC) variants, producing engineering and infantry fighting vehicles for domestic use and potential export.
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) has mounted the Baktar Shikan anti-tank guided weapon on a modified M113A1 and designated the vehicle 'Maaz'. It will be used by the Pakistan Army's mechanised units while light infantry battalions will continue to use the Baktar Shikan mounted on light utility vehicles.
HIT has modified the shape of the M113A1, extending its nose slightly and adding additional diesel fuel tanks on the back. The company expects good export potential for the Maaz, in particular to countries that already field the Baktar Shikan, said HIT chairman Major General Israr Ahmad Ghumman.
The company has also begun production of the Al Hadeed, a recovery vehicle based on a Talha APC with a crane, 15-tonne hydraulic winch, mill, lathe and other tools to fix and recover vehicles in the field. It weighs 12,521kg and has armour similar to that of the M113P APC, according to company data. The Al Hadeed will probably not be exported.
Gen Ghumman said that Saudi Arabia is keen to acquire the Saad, an APC also based on the M113 that can carry 14 soldiers. Saad has a Ukrainian 3TD 500hp engine and a maximum speed of 75kph. It weighs 13.5 tonnes fully loaded.
HIT has also begun full production of the Al Humza infantry fighting vehicle, Al Qaswa logistics vehicle and Sakb command post vehicle (similar to the US M577 vehicle) for the Pakistan Army. Gen Ghumman declined to say how many the army was procuring.
The Sakb and the Al Khalid and Al Zarrar main battle tanks are all being equipped with the Integrated Battlefield Management System (IBMS), a system to track friendly and enemy positions similar to the US Army's Blue Force Tracking.
The IBMS uses VHF and UHF communications and each vehicle can act as a relay. The integration of the systems is already under way and is scheduled to be finished by December, said Mohsin Rahmatullah, director of business development for the Centre for Advanced Research in Engineering, which developed the IBMS together with HIT. The hardware from the system may be exported, most likely first to the United Arab Emirates, Rahmatullah said.
'HIT's vehicle showcase'
