Jonga

The Jonga was a Nissan designed vehicle formerly used by the Indian Army. Jonga was an acronym for Jabalpur Ordnance aNd Guncarriage Assembly,[3] manufactured by the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur.[1] They were produced for the Indian Army under an exclusive license granted by Nissan in 1965.[2][4][5]

Jonga
Decommissioned Jonga with mounted M40 recoilless rifle on display.
TypeMid-size off road vehicle
Place of originIndia
Service history
In service1969–1999
Production history
ManufacturerVehicle Factory Jabalpur
Produced1969–1999
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
EngineSix-cylinder 3956 cc in-line petrol engine
110 hp (82 kW; 112 PS)[1]
Payload capacity250 kilograms (550 lb)[1]
Transmission3-speed manual gearbox[2]

The vehicle entered service in 1969 and production ceased in 1999. It served as one of the Indian Army's jeeps until it was phased out[6] and replaced mostly by the Mahindra MM540 jeep.[7]

History

The Indian Army showed an interest at the Nissan Patrol P60 and the Nissan 4W73 in the 1960s.[7] A decision was made to prioritize the eventual production of the jeeps in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War.[8] The factory manufacturing the Jonga was commissioned for a cost of Rs. 32.06 crores by November 1965.[8] The costs were revised again twice; firstly, on December 1970 for Rs. 41.53 crores and again in January 1973 for Rs. 46.84 crores.[8]

The first Jongas made by VFJ were produced in 1969 for military use.[7] A civilian variant of the Jonga was later made in 1996.[2]

In 1999, the production of the Jonga stopped with 100 of them sold to civilians.[2]

In 2013, it was reported that 20,000 Jongas were still in service with the Indian military.[9] It also has reported sales of 2,000 Jongas to the state governments of Kerala, and Jammu and Kashmir.[9]

Design

As the Jonga's design was based on the Nissan P60 and 4W73, it made maintenance easy due to access to COTS parts.[7] In 1996, the VFJ introduced the new 3.0L Hino diesel engine for civilian versions,[2][10] which was sourced with assistance from Ashok Leyland.[11] It was known for its high ground clearance at 222 mm, its power at 3,800 rpm and peak torque at 1,800 rpm.[12]

The Jonga was originally made for 6 people before changes were made to allow seating capacity for up to 8 people.[9]

In 2014, it was reported that the Advanced Material and Process Research Centre (AMPRI) was working on an aluminum-based composite material, which was used to develop a brake drum from a combination of metal, ceramic and aluminum, and for other automobile components; this was produced in partnership with the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE).[13] According to AMPRI, the item was tested by VFJ on a Jonga, which reported an increase in braking efficiency.[13]

Variants

The Jonga was known to be used as a general purpose vehicle, ambulance, gun carrier for recoilless rifles, recon and patrol vehicle.[2][12]

Criticism

There were reports that the Jonga's wheel bearings were prone to falling off according to a Border Roads Organisation report.[14] VFJ teams sent to inspect the damaged vehicles concluded that maintenance teams had not complied with the necessary procedures in conducting repairs and maintenance.[14]

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References
  1. "Jonga (4x4)". Bharat Rakshak. September 26, 2007.
  2. Gupta, Ritvik (May 16, 2020). "Jonga | A Nissan Patrol made for the Indian Army".
  3. "The Hindu : Metro Plus Coimbatore / Wheels: Monster on the move". The Hindu. June 13, 2009.
  4. "End of the road for Jonga". Hindustan Times. February 27, 2009.
  5. "New gen would go wow over this 1 Ton of Dhoni from the Army". OnManorama.
  6. "AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA:INNOVATION AND GROWTH" (PDF). www.ijcrt.org. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  7. "On Patrol" (PDF). www.nissanpatrolclub.org. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  8. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4561/1/pac_6_109_1979.pdf
  9. Singh, Sanjit (December 13, 1997). "Jonga May Shed Fatigues, Go Commercial" – via Business Standard.
  10. "Jonga Military SUV – All You Need To Know". April 2, 2015.
  11. "Unsealed 4X4 | THE LIVING DEAD". August 21, 2014.
  12. "The Jonga and its cult following", Business Standard, August 25, 2018.
  13. "AMPRI develops cheap auto parts for army vehicles | Bhopal News – Times of India". The Times of India.
  14. "DIRECTORATE GENERAL BORDER ROADS" (PDF). www.bro.gov.in. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
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