| title (item) | field_cer_web | field_cer_navbox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonga (Jabalpur Ordnance And Guncarriage Assembly) |
In the early 1960s, the Indian Army acquired 3,500 Nissan Patrol 4WD utility vehicles. These proved so highly popular in service that licenced production of the Nissan Patrol P60 was launched at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ). The acronym for the military division of the VFJ – Jabalpur Ordnance and Gun-carriage Assembly – eventually resulted in the name of the Indian-manufactured version: Jonga. This robust 4WD, powered by a 4.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder 145hp engine, was deployed as a six-man personnel carrier, an ambulance and a reconnaissance and patrol vehicle: the latter two are illustrated here, one with the FN MAG general purpose machine gun installed in front of the co-driver and the other with the same machine gun on a pedestal in the rear. (Artwork by David Bocquelet)