GROZNY, January 20. /TASS/. The Chechen authorities are negotiating the launch of the production of a light military vehicle at the Chechenavto plant, an official with the government of the Chechen republic told TASS.

The official added that the vehicle will be called the "Jihad Machine" and will subsequently be tested at the Russian University of Special Forces.

"The day before, the Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic, Muslim Khuchiev, and the Minister of Industry and Energy of the region, Adam Khakimov, held a number of working meetings with the leadership of the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry. During these meetings, they discussed the launch of production of the Jihad Machine at the production site of Chechenavto LLC and its further testing at the Russian University of Special Forces," the official said.

According to the official, the government of the region is also considering the creation of a large center for the repair and maintenance of military equipment, including armored vehicles, on the territory of the Chechen Republic.

"Given the importance of the railway for logistics, the creation of the center is being considered on the basis of Chechenavto LLC or on the territory of the special economic zone of industrial production type such as Grozny," the official added.

Earlier it was reported that the Chechen authorities plan to create the first automotive cluster in the south of Russia on the basis of the Chechenavto plant in 2023. At the plant they already assemble Lada Granta cars, and in October last year, they launched the assembly of the new Gazelle-Next model in cooperation with the GAZ Group.