In a first, sleek snow scooters are being inducted for patrolling purposes to help with the job of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops along the Sino-India frontier.
Five of these scooters, all costing around Rs. one crore, procured from a U.S.-based firm, have been deployed at high-altitude border locations of the ITBP in Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim that overlook the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployment on the other side.
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Officials said the modern scooters can seat two personnel (driver and pillion rider) with their rifle and ammunition in tow and can negotiate a 45-degree slope on the hills and are supported by chaincase belts to help the 278 kg machine glide smooth and cut through the ice.
325 mm in length, the scooters are powered by hydraulic brakes for effective ground control and its carbureted ignition system can hold over 41 litres of fuel in one go.