L&T RECEIVES ORDER TO CONSTRUCT LIGHT TANK PROTOTYPE FOR SINO-INDIAN BORDER: REPORT

Seven light tank regiments, each with 45 tanks, have received an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), or in-principle agreement, from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) top body for capital purchases.

According to Business Standard, the AoN mandates that L&T, the MoD’s development partner, construct one regiment of light tanks while the MoD obtains the other six regiments via the “Make” process.

The co-developed hull of the light tank by DRDO and L&T will house an 800 horsepower (HP) engine that has been tuned for use at high altitudes. The engine will be supplied by Rolls-Royce’s affiliate in Germany, MTU.

A ready-built 105-millimeter gun turret from the Belgian company John Cockerill will be mounted on this hull, the article continued.

Concerning Zorawar Light Tank

The light tank Zorawar was initially created in India. 500 Type-15 light tanks are in China. China has already developed them and is still producing them, unlike India. Light tanks are ideal for the shared border between the two nations. Particularly in the regions of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Ladakh sector.

In high-altitude settings, light tanks are well adapted to deliver effective firepower and performance. This is the second factor that can push New Delhi to ask for more Zorawar light tanks to be purchased.

According to the source, things are so heated that New Delhi may decide to accept a direct offer to purchase Zorawar in addition to starting a second production line to boost output. Even using private sector businesses is an option, the person continued.

We are going to tell you a little bit more about the Zorawar LT because, of course, we’ve heard of it. You can see what India can buy from this. The tank is currently being created. New Delhi wants to start making things in bulk in 2024. This is still in question, though.

Three people make up the tank’s crew, which illustrates the Soviet design’s impact. This strongly implies that the weapon system will automatically fill tank shells, which is the way Russian tanks operate.

According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, a tank must weigh 25 tons. It is anticipated that a specially manufactured tank fuel will be used to power the Indian Zorawar LT rather than normal tank fuel. This is a necessary since the tank will operate at extremely high elevations, not some particular army requirement. The tank will be designed differently and will be distinct from the familiar conventional tanks precisely because of the heights.

India would probably look for a longer-term collaboration with the tank manufacturer. Its chassis will be used to build various combat armored systems. For the entire Indian philosophy of cost reduction, this will be crucial. On the other hand, it is far simpler to manage several platforms that are built on top of a single modular one, money apart.