"The M&M bullet proof vehicles will be ideally suited for the use of security forces in counter-insurgency operations as well as on the battle field," M&m executive director and president of the automotive business Alan Durante said in a statement here.

The first batch of prototypes are being tested in Israel and first such vehicle would roll out `within weeks' of getting approval certificate for the prototypes, M&M spokesman said.

The ballistic kits offer a menu of options from the higher threat level of 7.62mm ammunitions fired by AK-47 rifles/machine guns to 5.56mm and the smaller calibre 9 mm/0.38 hand gun, M&M said.

Durante said, "a ballistic carpet protects the under-belly of an armoured vehicle thereby increasing survivability against grenades/mines and improvisedexplosive devises."

The spokesman said the armoured vehicles would be priced lower than the similar vehicles available internationally and the production would be demand-driven.

Under the MoU, ballistic kits would be procured from Plasan Sasa and installed on M&M vehicles at the newly established Mahindra Auto Speciality Company.

The bullet-proof solutions on M&M vehicles are being so designed that they can be used even by the police, banks for cash-in-transit vans, bank counters and even armoured protection to other major automotive models being produced in the country, M&M said.

M&M said cooperation between the two companies will be extended to body armours (bullet-proof vests) which have wide applications.

Body armour can be customised for security forces or personal civilian use.

Plasan Sasa has been supplying ballistic kits to the Israeli defence forces, security agencies and Nato countries like Germany and Greece.

M&M said Plasan's produces are based on four major armour technologies --composite steel, composite ceramic, flexible ceramic armour and high performance polyethylene and aramid laminates.