NEW DELHI: India on Friday inked a $248 million contract with Russia’s state-owned Rosoboronexport (RoE) for procurement of 1,000 HP (horsepower) engines for its fleet of T-72 Tanks in “fully formed, completely knocked down and semi knocked down” conditions.
“The deal also includes transfer of technology (ToT) from M/s RoE to M/s Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (or the Heavy Vehicles Factory) at Avadi, Chennai, for integration and subsequent licensed production of engines to boost the `Make in India’ initiative,” a defence ministry official said.
“The Russian-origin T-72s are the mainstay of the Army tank fleet, which at present are fitted with a 780 HP engine. Equipping the fleet of T-72 Tanks with 1,000 HP engines will enhance the battlefield mobility and offensive capability of the Army,” he added.
Along with a fleet of 2,400 T-72 tanks, the Army has so far inducted 1,300 T-90S `Bhishma’ tanks of the 1,657 being produced by the Heavy Vehicles Factory under licence from Russia.
The Army force is now also inducting 118 indigenous Arjun Mark-1A tanks, with 14 major and 57 minor “upgrades” to enhance firepower, mobility, endurance and protection, ordered for Rs 7,523 crore in Sept 2021. These 118 `improved’ tanks will add to the first 124 Arjun tanks inducted well over a decade ago.
Then, there are the 354 indigenous light tanks for high-altitude warfare to be inducted under Project Zorawar for around Rs 17,500 crore. The need for such tanks, each weighing less than 25 tonnes with a high power-to-weight ratio as well as superior firepower and protection, has been driven home by the continuing almost four-year-long military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.