New Delhi:

India on Friday successfully conducted the preliminary automotive trials of the light tank, Zorawar, a highly versatile platform being developed to boost the Army’s combat capabilities along the frontier with China.

The tank demonstrated “exceptional” performance, efficiently meeting all the intended objectives during the field trials conducted in desert terrain, the defence ministry said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the L&T Defence are developing the air-transportable 25-tonne tank that has been designed for rapid deployment largely along the frontier with China.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the successful trials of the Indian light tank as a “significant milestone” towards India’s goal of self-reliance in critical defence systems and technologies.

“The DRDO on September 13 successfully conducted the preliminary automotive trials of the Indian light Tank, Zorawar, a highly versatile platform capable of deployment in high-altitude areas,” the ministry said.

.@DRDO_India successfully conducted developmental field trials of Indian Light Tank, Zorawar. The collaboration with Indian industry aids in the growth of domestic manufacturing ecosystem.

More: https://t.co/ZlygO3jSWSpic.twitter.com/f61bn37jq0

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) September 13, 2024

“During the field trials conducted in the desert terrain, the Light Tank demonstrated exceptional performance, efficiently meeting all the intended objectives,” it said.

“In the initial phase, the tank’s firing performance was rigorously evaluated and it achieved the required accuracy on designated targets,” it added.

The Indian Army is looking at deploying over 350 light tanks, mostly in the mountainous border areas, they said.

The development of Zorawar is seen to be aimed at countering China’s deployment of tanks of the same categories.

“Zorawar has been successfully developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, a unit of the DRDO, in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Ltd,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Numerous Indian industries, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributed to the development of various sub-systems, showcasing the strength of indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities within the country,” it said.

The Army planned to procure the light tanks equipped with adequate firepower for deployment in high-altitude areas with an aim to enhance agility, manoeuvrability and operational capability.

The 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 ultra light howitzers in mountainous regions along the LAC including in Arunachal Pradesh.

The M-777 can be transported quickly in Chinook helicopters.

The Army has also deployed heavy tanks like T-90 and T-72 and infantry combat vehicles in eastern Ladakh.

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 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.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In a major boost to Indian forces deployed opposite China in Ladakh, premier defence research agency Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private sector firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T) are at advanced stage of trials of the indigenous Light Tank Zorawar.

DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat today reviewed the progress made in the project at the Larsen and Toubro plant at Hajira in Gujarat.

#WATCH | Exclusive footage of the light tank Zorawar developed jointly by DRDO and Larsen and Toubro. The tank project being developed for the Indian Army was reviewed by DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat in Hazira, Gujarat today. The tank has been developed by the DRDO to meet the… pic.twitter.com/bkJHdWkoWo

— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2024

Developed in a record time of two years for high altitude areas of Ladakh, the tank is testimony to Indian progress in indigenous manufacturing.

The DRDO and L&T have integrated USVs in loitering munitions in the tank learning lessons from the Russia and Ukraine conflict.

The light tank Zorawar weighs 25 tonnes. It is the first time, a fresh tank has been designed and made ready for trials in such a short time.

59 of these tanks will be provided to the Army initially and it will be a front runner for the major programme of 295 more of these armoured vehicles.

The Indian Air Force can supply two tanks at a time in the C-17 class transport aircraft as the tank is light and can be run at high speeds in mountain valleys.

The trials are expected to be completed in the next 12-18 months and be ready for induction.

Even though the first ammunition is coming from Belgium, the DRDO is ready to develop the ammunition indigenously.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)