A Tata Group company is setting up a major defence manufacturing line abroad, in an overseas first for India. The Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) plant-which will come up in Casablanca-will initially make armoured vehicles for the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. It plans to serve the larger African market in the long term.The unit will produce the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP)-an amphibious infantry combat vehicle capable of navigating all types of terrain.The factory will be capable of producing 100 combat vehicles annually and will be functional within a year, with the first WhAPs projected to be rolled out within 18 months. These vehicles are already in service with the Indian Army in limited numbers and have been deployed at the Ladakh border."This contract is of significant size and of strategic importance for TASL," said TASL chief executive officer and managing director Sukaran Singh.113749801"This not only enables TASL to help initiate Morocco's defence ecosystem but also acts as a launch point for TASL into the rest of Africa for select defence systems."He acknowledged Morocco's support on the landmark production and supply agreement. The WhAP has been developed jointly by TASL and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It underwent several intensive trials in the deserts of Africa before being selected by Morocco. TASL didn't provide the value of the contract.This is the first major greenfield defence plant being set up by an Indian company abroad. While India has exported major defence platforms in the past and is manufacturing products with global players domestically, it hasn't done so overseas until now. This will also be the first defence plant capable of manufacturing a complete major platform in Morocco. The plant will employ around 350 people and a major chunk of the work will be carried out in India as well. It also marks Tata's entry into the African defence market, which is projected to grow exponentially in the coming years, with the setting up of a wholly owned subsidiary, TASL Morocco. India has been making a strong push for defence exports into Africa, with several government initiatives including bilateral visits and presentations by the government. China has already emerged as a major defence supplier in Africa, which has been dominated in the past by Russian and European suppliers. The WhAP is an indigenously designed public-private partnership success story. The eight-wheeled platform has been designed to operate in all terrains to support the Indian armed forces from deserts to high-altitude mountain passes and marshy terrain.