The work is expected to increase the lifespan of the T90 fleet by two decades
India has concluded an overhaul of its fleet of Russian-manufactured T-90 Bhishma tanks, in a major undertaking aimed at extending their lifespan by at least 20 years, Indian media have quoted an official as saying.
The T-90 tanks were assembled using Russian-supplied kits at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Tamil Nadu state of southern India, starting in the early 2000s. The Indian military currently operates around 1,300 such vehicles, according to media reports.
The overhaul, which involved dismantling the tanks and rebuilding them with new parts, was conducted at the 505 Army Base Workshop in Delhi Cantonment, ANI news agency reported on Wednesday.
A video shared by the agency shows Indian personnel taking apart older tanks and fitting them with upgraded parts.
#WATCH | Indian Army has carried out the successful overhaul of the T-90 Bhishma tanks which will enhance the life of these tanks by 20 years and make them as good as new.
The overhaul was conducted by the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) at the 505 Army Base… pic.twitter.com/RT4iWQ4NVU
The overhaul is a step towards ensuring the operational readiness of India’s army, an official who asked not to be named told the Hindustan Times.
The operation has “ensured the tank’s readiness for all-terrain operations” and provided it with a “new lease of life,” another official told the paper.
Earlier this year, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s arms export agency and part of the state-owned Rostec defense corporation, began producing 3VBM17 ‘Mango’ rounds with armor-piercing sub-caliber shells in India. The project is part of New Delhi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which aims to increase self-sufficiency.
The 125-mm projectiles are designed to be fired from the cannons of T-72 and T-90 tanks deployed by India’s military. The munitions are intended to target armored vehicles with composite protection, Rostec said. Its general director, Sergey Chemezov, has stated that “to ensure the highest degree of localization in the production of the Mango rounds, plans are underway to establish the production of propellants in India.”
Russia remains the largest defense supplier to India, although in recent years New Delhi has been diversifying its import sources and technological partnerships, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
India has also been pushing to expand its domestic defense manufacturing. Earlier this year, the country tested its new light tank, Zorawar, designed for mountainous terrain. In September, one of the tanks was tested at the Mahajan firing range near Bikaner in western India’s Rajasthan. The tank was jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the private firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Earlier this month, New Delhi approved the acquisition of two nuclear-powered attack submarines at an estimated cost of 450 billion rupees ($5.4 billion). It has also sealed a deal to procure 31 Predator drones manufactured by the American company General Atomics for around $4 billion, as part of a long-term strategy to counter China’s dominance in the region.