Army’s T-72 tanks to get more powerful engines from Russia

The Ministry of Defence on Friday signed a contract worth USD 248 million with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for the procurement of 1000 HP engines for the Indian Army’s T-72 tanks, boosting their battlefield mobility and offensive capability.

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The T-72s, procured from the erstwhile Soviet Union from the late 1970s onwards, are powered by a 780 HP engine. The new engines will be procured in fully formed, completely knocked-down and semi-knocked-down conditions.

The deal also includes transfer of technology (ToT) from the Russian firm to Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (Heavy Vehicle Factory), Avadi, near Chennai, for integration and subsequent licensed production of the engines.

The Soviet-origin T-72 is the mainstay of the Indian tank fleet and about 2,300 of these armoured vehicles are reported to be in service. Besides employment in the plains and deserts, the traditional operating terrain for armoured platforms, T-72s were also deployed to Jaffna in Sri Lanka with the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) as well as in high-altitude areas like Ladakh to counter the Chinese threat along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Over the years, the T-72s have also been upgraded to meet contemporary operational requirements. Retrofitting thermal sights, upgrading the fire control system and addition of fire detection and suppression systems are part of the process.

The T-72s have been supplemented by the more advanced T-90, of which about 1,200 have been inducted. A bit heavier than the T-72s, these were airlifted to Ladakh, along with other armoured vehicles, during the 2020 stand-off with China to beef up Indian combat capability. the newly developed Zorawar light tanks, is another development to enhance operational capabilities in high altitude.

The Army has also reportedly initiated a project, estimated to cost Rs 57,000 crore, to indigenously design and manufacture 1,770 Future-Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs) to eventually replace the T-72 tanks starting from 2030 onwards.

The FRCVs will have niche technologies such as artificial intelligence, drone integration, active protection system and a high degree of situational awareness in a network-centric operational environment.

According to military analysts, the introduction of new combat platforms like drones and smart munitions along with the changing nature of warfare and emergence of novel operational tactics notwithstanding, the relevance of tanks and heavy armoured vehicles that have now been around for about a century, continues.