According to The Defence Aviation Post, Tata has begun delivering the first batch of WhAP (Kestrel) 8×8 armored vehicles to the Central Reserve Police Force, which is most likely the ITBP. Tata and DRDO jointly built WhAP (Wheeled Armored Amphibious Platform) Kestrel armoured vehicle roll out from TATA Pimpri, Pune Plant.
Tata’s factory produces a total of three WhAP. The new vehicle appears to be for the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and could be used in the Ladakh region based on the camo, The Defence Aviation Post writes, as the vehicle is currently being tested for high-altitude operation in Eastern Ladakh.
The new vehicle has Casspir MPV firing ports, as well as an armoured driver’s station. Remote weapon system with a small calibre. However, these Kestrels don’t have waterjets for amphibious operations, which might indicate that this might be a COIN (counter-insurgency) variant.
Tata, DRDO, and UK-based company Supacat collaborated on the Kestrel, which was unveiled at DefExpo 2014. At DefExpo 2016 and 2018, it was seen with a BMP-2 turret, and it was renamed WhAP (Wheeled Armored Platform)
The Cummins ISX 600 engine produces 600 horsepower and 1250 pound-feet of torque and has a 10 lakh-kilometer reliability rating, as well as a variable geometry turbocharger and a Euro-III rating.The vehicle has a top speed of 100 km/h and a range of 500 km. The Tata Kestrel/WhAp also has an amphibious drive mode, which allows it to cross streams at up to 10kph using onboard water jets.