Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: The Indian Army has put its latest extreme mobility machine to the test in Amritsar’s flood-hit areas. Videos shared online showed the ATOR N1200 Specialist Mobility Vehicle (SMV) moving smoothly through knee-deep waters while rescuing stranded villagers.
The vehicle, which looks more like something out of an adventure documentary than a conventional military truck, has been inducted recently and was designed for exactly this type of situation — when roads are gone, bridges are under water, and boats alone can’t reach everyone.
The ATOR N1200 is not your typical four-wheeler. It is an amphibious all-terrain vehicle originally developed by Quadro International of Ukraine, and now manufactured in India by JSW Gecko Motors under a defence contract. The vehicle is based on the Sherp N1200, a machine famous worldwide for crawling across ice sheets in Antarctica and deserts like the Sahara.
In India, JSW Defence and Aerospace and JSW Gecko are producing the ATOR N1200 under license, with orders already worth ₹250 crore placed by the Ministry of Defence. A batch of 96 units was contracted in 2024, and the vehicle was even showcased during the Republic Day parade that year.
For enthusiasts who care about numbers, here’s what the ATOR N1200 packs:
Perhaps the most unusual detail is the lack of a steering wheel. The driver controls the ATOR using two levers in what’s called skid steering, a method similar to how construction machines or battle tanks are operated. It looks odd at first but gives the ATV the ability to pivot on the spot, handy in tight forests or flood lanes.
The ATOR N1200 is essentially an indigenised Sherp, made tougher for Indian requirements. Its frame is built from high-strength Docol steel that can withstand deformation up to 1000 MPa, while all parts have zinc coating for long service life. The underbody is reinforced to take on rocks and debris, something useful in Himalayan terrain or flood-ravaged plains.
JSW Gecko’s manufacturing unit in Chandigarh handles production, with the first lot already handed over to the Army. The company also received a Request for Proposal in 2024 to supply an additional 24 units.
The deployment in Amritsar is the first real public glimpse of the ATV in action. With climate change making floods and extreme weather more common, the Army’s use of such specialised vehicles signals a shift towards gear that is as effective in disaster relief as it is in combat zones.
For civilians watching the footage, the ATOR N1200 feels like a mix of monster truck and rescue boat. For the Army, it’s a practical tool that can move across swamps, snowfields, and now, flooded cities in Punjab.
