BEL to upgrade Schilka tanks

The firm is now gearing up for a complete overhaul of the Russian-made Schilka tanks, equipped with the ZU-23 gun systems. They were imported from Russia in 1984-85 and are being used ever since.

However, the technology needed to maintain these tanks, which India has about 90 in number, has become obsolete and thereby BEL has been asked to provide a complete overhaul.

Addressing the Forum for Defence and Aerospace Journalists, Bangalore (FDAJB), General Manager of BEL Military Radar Strategic Business Unit, P C Jain, said, “The ministry of defence had called for a global enquiry to get the overhauling of Schilka done and BEL bagged the order, ahead of a Russian firm.”

Jain pointed out that the new version of the tanks would have some replacements and also some additions as the conditions in which soldiers fight battles today and the manner have undergone changes.

BEL engineers told Deccan Herald that the Russian-made tanks would become air conditioned. Since most of them are deployed in the western frontier areas like Rajasthan, staying inside the vehicles without air conditioning is very difficult.

Upgrading

Also, all the sub-systems in the vehicle are being replaced with new, state-of-the-art electronic systems. BEL will even replace the engine, besides upgrading the radar. “These tanks use gas turbine engines that consume as much as 90 litres of fuel per hour. In a bid to make them more efficient, we will replace the gas turbines with diesel engines that consume only 9 litres of fuel an hour.”

Further, BEL will add cameras, both day vision cameras and thermal imaging cameras that aid night vision.

Presently, BEL has completed upgradation of one of the tanks and will do the same with 47 other tanks in the first phase. The remaining will come through in the second phase.