As opposed to the sand colour of Force Light Strike Vehicle supplied to Indian Army around 2018, new Force Gurkha Military Ambulance is in green shade
Gurkha range of lifestyle machines has made very little impact on PV sales. But Force’s commercial lineup is very strong. Along with that, Force Motors actively supplies purpose-built vehicles to Indian Military. Gurkha Light Strike Vehicles were supplied to Indian Military in BS4 Era. Recent test mules reveal a Military Ambulance that could be testing BS6 powertrains.
Force Gurkha Military Ambulance
Around 2018, Force Motors was awarded a contract by Indian Military to supply purpose-built Light Strike Vehicles to be deployed in desert border patrolling operations with sand colour. These were based on then Gurkhas and featured a stripped-down open-top appeal along with custom kit at the front and back.
Fast forwarding to 2023, the company is testing a purpose-built Force Gurkha Military Ambulance that has a green shade, as opposed to sand colour on the Light Strike Vehicles supplied before. One would think that new one would feature the same design as current PV Gurkha, but that isn’t the case.
Where design is concerned, Force is still leaning on the previous-gen Gurkha’s design which is identical to the Light Strike Vehicles supplied before. In the video from Bunny Punia YouTube channel below, we can see the For Gurkha Military Ambulance in all its green colour glory. It looks huge and intimidating, donning custom suspension and axles.
There was a version of this vehicle sold for private buyers too, called Force Gurkha Expedition that had 5 doors. The military versions based on this vehicle lack doors and a roof along with 3rd-row seats. Recently, Force Motors was testing Gurkha Pickup truck for Indian Military too.
Differences spotted with new test mule
Both the previous Force Motors Light Strike Vehicle and new test mule spotted, don the same fascia. Round headlights and turn indicators get protective grills, a shovel, there is a winch setup that should come in handy, there are blackout lights too which is standard for military vehicles and we can see some custom fixtures at the front that could carry signal jammers and scramblers.
Force Gurkha Military Ambulance finished in green, gets a + symbol on its rear differential. Also, this Ambulance version has wider wheel arches. There is no snorkel, but water wading ability should be decent, considering high air intake positioning. Axles have significant positive camber. These are not portal axles, but they are tilted quite a bit, reminding me of Tatra’s axles.
Side exhaust like a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, large and upright windscreen, rear tailgate-mounted spare tyre, rear-facing jump seats, and suspended grab handles are notable elements. Currently Force Motors only has one powertrain that can be seen on all of their products.
This is a 2.6L Mercedes-derived FM CR turbo diesel engine that can generate up to 120 bhp, depending on applications, mated to a 5-speed gearbox and a 4X4 transfer case along with front and rear mechanically locking differentials.
Image – Bunny Punia
