JOIN USThe Indian Army plans to make its Russian-origin T-90 and T-72 frontline battle tanks more lethal by upgrading their missile systems. The government has approved the purchase of third-generation anti-tank missiles capable of hitting targets upto 8 km away during day or night. It has also approved $375 million for the purchase of armoured vehicle protection and counter-measure systems against anti-tank guided missiles for the T-90s. Modernisation and upgradation of weapon systems is an ongoing process and crucial for T-90 and T-72 tanks, the mainstays of the Army's offensive formations. Two recent incidents, however, have somewhat put battle-readiness of the Army’s armoured arsenal under a cloud.
The Indian Army was knocked out of the fourth edition of the international tank biathlon at the Alabino proving grounds near Moscow recently after both its main and reserve T-90 main battle tanks developed mechanical problems. The T-72 tanks have also given trouble on the field and during training exercises on many occasions. Earlier this month, a driver who took out a T-72 tank for a trial run at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi died after a gas leak inside the cabin from a fire detection system. There have been breakdowns and a few minor accidents in the T-series tanks during deployment or training exercises. Quoting sources in Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), media reports have attributed these snags to a mismatch between imported and indigenously-made components. Although technology transfer is available, certain parts need to be imported. It is imperative that the Defence ministry addresses these issues under its ‘Make in India’ programme while modernising the Russian T-series tanks.
At the same time, the DRDO must learn from these snags to perfect the Arjun tanks that are being manufactured in Avadi and are yet to be inducted into the Army. The indigenous manufacture of battle tank Arjun was cleared in 1974. Four decades later, the project has not only overshot its timeline but also incurred huge cost overruns. So far, only two of the Army's 64 armoured regiments have been equipped with this tank. Even if the required numbers can be produced by a miracle, infrastructure for mechanised warfare — such as rail transportation, bridges and tank transporters -- will have to be beefed up to facilitate its deployment as the Arjun is much heavier than the T-90. This could mean that the Army will have to wait decades before its armoured formations are fully self-reliant. The Army has reasons to be concerned about the slow pace of indigenisation. Especially when at the biathlon, China’s indigenous Type-96B tanks shone and finished second, behind Russia in the medal tally.