India’s new light tank Zorawar carries out maiden firing in mountains
Zorawar has been designed as a 25-tonne class armoured fighting vehicle to meet the requirements of the armed forces for high altitude applications
NEW DELHI: India’s new light tank Zorawar, designed for rapid deployment and high mobility in the mountains, has achieved a “major milestone” by firing several rounds at different ranges at an altitude of more than 4,200 metres, with accurate results, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
The development comes three months after the tank fired for the first time at the Mahajan firing range near Bikaner. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) then announced that it had successfully conducted the preliminary field trials of the tank whose performance was exceptional.
The tank has been designed as a 25-tonne class armoured fighting vehicle to meet the requirements of the armed forces for high altitude applications, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“The design to realisation to demonstration (of capabilities) at high altitude has been achieved in three years,” it said. The latest firing trials were carried out in the Ladakh sector.
The tank has been jointly developed by DRDO and Larsen & Toubro under Project Zorawar to meet the Indian Army’s requirement for 354 light tanks. It was developed from scratch in two years. DRDO chief Samir V Kamat reviewed the first prototype of the tank at L&T’s Hazira facility in Gujarat on July 6 when it was unveiled.
The airlift capability of the tank was also demonstrated by the Indian Air Force, the ministry said.
“Such a capability would assist in quick deployment of the tank in operating conditions that are remote and difficult to access through road or rail. With these two phases of internal performance trials, which were actively supported by the Indian Army and the IAF, the tank would be undergoing some more trials before being offered for user trials,” the statement added.
The user trials could take 12 to 18 months as the army will test the performance of the tank in summer, winter and high altitude before it can go into production.
The tank is expected to be ready for induction into service in 2027, strengthening the army’s posture against the Chinese forces along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has inducted and fielded several modern tanks, including light tanks with a high power-to-weight ratio, across LAC.
The Indian Army has deployed scores of heavier Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks in the Ladakh theatre, but they have their own limitations as they were designed for operations in plains and deserts. The need for light tanks with adequate firepower, protection, surveillance and communication capabilities was felt after the border row with China erupted.
The new capability will cost around ₹17,500 crore.
The light tank can be transported by air, is capable of amphibious operations, can fire at high angles of elevation and perform the role of limited artillery.
It has been named after the legendary general, Zorawar Singh, who led the Dogra forces a record six times, between 1834 and 1841, to victories in Ladakh and Tibet. In May 1841, he led a 5,000-strong Dogra force into Tibet and within weeks overran the Chinese forces and captured their Mantalai flag.
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