LIGHT TANK ZORAWAR

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE COMBAT

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

FEATURES:-

• India's very own light tank is expected to be ready for induction in the Army by 2027.
• It is designed under 'Project Zorawar' for high-altitude warfare in places like Eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

·         The Zorawar Light Tank, weighing 25 tons, has been developed jointly by the DRDO and Larsen and Toubro (L&T).

·         It is specifically engineered to navigate steep mountains and to cross water bodies such as rivers. The tank's rubber track system enhances its capability to operate in high-altitude areas, which are challenging for heavier main battle tanks.

• Each tank weighs around 25 tonnes with a high power-to-weight ratio as well as superior firepower and protection.

TARGET CHINA

• The need for such tanks has been driven home by the continuing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh, which is into its fifth year now.
• The development of 'Zorawar' is being seen to be aimed at countering China's deployment of tanks of the same categories. The Army planned to procure light tanks equipped with adequate firepower for deployment in high-altitude areas with an aim to enhance agility, manoeuvrability and operational capability.
• The over 11-lakh strong Army had managed to deploy some of its heavier Russian-origin T-90S and T-72 main-battle tanks (40 to 50 tonne each) in eastern Ladakh after the confrontation with China erupted in May 2020. The artillery units of the Army have already deployed K-9 Vajra Tracked Self-Propelled Howitzers, Pinaka rocket systems and Dhanush gun systems along the frontier with China.
• The T-90S and T-72 tanks, however, are geared for operations in plains and deserts, and thereby have limitations in high-altitude areas ranging from 11,000 to almost 17,000-feet, where India has to operate.
• Indian Army  has taken a series of measures since the Galwan Valley clashes in Eastern Ladakh to enhance its combat capabilities.
• It deployed a significant number of easily transportable M-777 ultralight howitzers in mountainous regions along the LAC, including in Arunachal Pradesh. The M-777s  can be transported quickly in Chinook helicopters.
• The PLA also inducted a large number of technologically advanced mix of medium and light tanks, including the new third-generation Type-15 ones.

GETTING READY

• Developed by DRDO and private sector company L&T, it will have to undergo a series of summer and winter trials, including in deserts and high-altitude areas, over the next two to three years before the entire acquisition, production and induction process can actually begin.

·         The initial internal trials of the tank took place at a facility in Hazira, Gujarat, within  less than two years after the ambitious project was sanctioned, as learned from reliable sources. The Indian Army is looking at deploying over 350 light tanks, mostly in the mountainous border areas.

• The light tank should be ready for induction, after "developmental and user (Army) trials", by 2027, DRDO chairperson Samir Kamat  confirmed.

LARGE ORDER

• The Army's case for 354 such tanks, which will cost an estimated Rs 17,500 crore, was given preliminary approval or “acceptance of necessity” by the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisitions Council in Dec 2022.

WHY IT’S SPECIAL

• “Due to its lighter weight, the tank has high strategic mobility. It can be transported by air and is capable of amphibious operations. It can fire at high angles of elevation and perform the role of limited artillery,” an official told TOI.
• The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed an innovative rubber track system for the Zorawar Light Tank.  This rubber track system is a significant innovation amidst the traditional steel track designs equipped with detachable rubber pads equipped on MBTs like the Arjun MK-1A and other international designs. The rubber tracks provide several advantages in high-altitude regions, including improved manoeuvrability and traction on the difficult hard and grainy terrains.
• The Zorawar Light Tank project is part of the Indian Army's efforts to enhance its rapid deployment and manoeuvrability in high-altitude regions, particularly in response to security situations in remote and inaccessible areas.
• The tank is named after the 19th-century Dogra General Zorawar Singh. The Indian Army plans to induct the Zorawar Light Tanks by 2027.
• The development of the Zorawar Light Tank is a significant advancement for the Indian armed forces stationed along the border with China in Ladakh. The tank's rubber track system, along with other features, will contribute to bolstering the Indian Army's mountain warfare capabilities.

WHAT EMERGE:

 The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

SOURCES:-

1.0 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/light-tank-zorawar-goes-through-test-trial-likely-to-be-inducted-into-army-by-2027/article68375205.ece 

2 .0 https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/defence/india-unveils-zorawar-light-tank 

3.0 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/drdo-unveils-indigenous-light-tank-zorawar/article68375255.ece

4.0https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-unveils-light-battle-tank-zorawar-for-ladakh-like-terrain/articleshow/111542758.cms 

IMAGE:  GOOGLE