Countering China: India has chosen American firm Cummins to produce engines for its indigenous gentle tanks, that are urgently wanted to counter Chinese language deployments in excessive altitudes, based on an ET report. The undertaking to develop these gentle tanks was authorised final 12 months, with Larsen and Toubro collaborating with the Defence Analysis and Growth Organisation (DRDO) to create a prototype.
Nonetheless, based on the report the undertaking confronted obstacles when a German agency, chosen for engine provide attributable to its excessive power-to-weight ratio, failed to achieve an settlement. Regardless of months of negotiations, the German firm couldn’t decide to delivering the engines on time, even after diplomatic intervention, defence insiders stated. This delay hindered the progress of the sunshine tank improvement. Consequently, the choice was made to interact with American corporations, and Cummins’ provide was accepted.
The Indian Military has estimated that it requires 354 gentle tanks within the excessive altitude areas of Ladakh. Out of those, L&T-DRDO will manufacture 59 tanks, whereas the remaining tanks shall be produced by different Indian corporations after a bidding course of. The event plan for the Indian gentle tank is known as Challenge Zorawar. This tank will incorporate fashionable options comparable to synthetic intelligence integration, drone warfare capabilities, and lively safety methods.

The L&T-DRDO choice relies on the chassis of the K9 Vajra self-propelled artillery, which is at present in service and manufactured in India for the Military. The sunshine tanks should be capable of function successfully in numerous terrains, together with excessive altitude areas and island territories. Moreover, they should be air-transportable for fast deployment. Officers have emphasised the significance of a light-weight and agile platform with substantial firepower, safety, surveillance, and communication capabilities.
The necessity for a lightweight tank arose two years in the past when China deployed a big variety of troops and heavy tools to disputed areas in jap Ladakh. China’s introduction of latest kind 15 gentle tanks alongside the Line of Precise Management in April 2020 briefly gave them a bonus. In response, the Indian Military deployed a number of T-72 and T-90 tanks, which had been heavier and designed for operations in plains and deserts. Whereas these deployments had a deterrence affect, they confronted limitations in excessive altitude areas.