TAXILA: The defence production sector of Pakistan has signed a deal to export locally manufactured light armoured vehicles called ‘Interceptor’ to Bahrain.
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) — a defence industrial complex which manufactures and rebuilds tanks and armoured personnel carriers for the military — will be making six Interceptors for the Bahrain National Guards.
According to reports, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between HIT’s chief Lt Gen Muhammad Naeem Ashraf and Lt Gen Mohammed Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the brother of Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The vehicles are built for the civil armed forces to control limited violence and internal security.
Subject to successful completion of this pilot contract, it is likely that a series contract of minimum 50 more vehicles would be further awarded.
Pakistan is manufacturing and selling weapons to over 40 countries, bringing in the substantial amount of foreign exchange annually and aims to rid itself of foreign dependence in the defence industry.
Last year, Army Chief General Bajwa inaugurated a workshop for rebuilding the Ukrainian T-80UD tanks.