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Armour Modernization

By some counts India's armored vehicle holdings are nearly twice that of Pakistan, yet India's inventory consists of obsolescent models such as the Vijayanta and the T-55. Many of these tanks are in disrepair and in storage. The problems with the program to develop an indigenous tank, the Arjun, is one reason that maintenance, overhauls and upgrades for other Indian tanks have not been fully funded.

As of 1995 the army was reportedly equipped with some 3,400 main battle tanks. Of these, 1,200 were indigenously manufactured Vijayanta tanks. Additionally, the army has some T-55, T-72, and PT-76 tanks. As of 2008, the army hoped by 2020 to field a force of over 21 regiments of T-90 tanks and 40 regiments of modified T-72s. The DRDO argued for a slice of the pie-a mix of heavy tanks including the Arjun and medium tanks like the T-72 and T-90.

In the aftermath of Operations Vijay and Safed Sagar in Kashmir in 1999, Indian defence planners went on a spending spree for conventional equipment purchases for the country's armed services.

As of early 1999 it was estimated that 37 of India's 58 armored regiments [battalions] were equipped with around 1,700 T-72s and T-72M1s [built locally under licence], 12 with some 540 Vijayantas and nine with over 400 T-55s. A May 2000 report affirmed that the T-72M1s were in service with around 37 of the Army's 58 armor regiments.

Another estimate in early 2002 counted a total of 63 armor regiments, including 35 regiments with the T-72M1 (@ 55 tank each, 1900+ total), 14 regiments with the Vijayanta (@ 72 tanks each, 1000+ total), 13 regiments with the T-55 (@ 55 tanks each, 700+ total), and one Arjun Mk.1 regiment. It should be apparent that these estimates cannot be readily reconciled, given the unlikelihood that holdings of elderly Vijayanta and T-55 tanks would have increased [rather than decreased] during this time. However, another authoritative estimate reported that the number of T-55s in service increased from 500 in 1997 to 700 in 1999, while also reporting that the T-55s were being retired slowly.

As of early 2002 India was estimated to have between 3,300 and 4,900 tanks [the higher number includes as many as 1,500 older tanks in storage]. Estimating India's armored vehicle inventory presents unique definitional challenges, given the large fraction of total holdings that are "in storage" and unlikely to be available for combat operations. As of 2008 the army had around 3,500 tanks in 61 armoured regiments-each with 45 tanks, mostly T-72s imported and licence-produced from Russia in the early '80s

Total requirement of the Army is about 3500 Tanks. The Army hoped to field a force of over 21 regiments of T-90 tanks and 40 regiments of modified T-72s. As of 2001 it was estimated that the T-90 tanks expenditure committed is Rs.10,000 crores. On 120 Arjun tanks, the expenditure was going to be Rs.2,500 crores. The updgradation of T-72 would cost Rs.1,000 crores. By some accounts, the army plannd to field equal numbers of T-90s and T-72s for the next 15 years through 2020, spending thousands of crores on extending the life of the T-72.

Vijayanta MBT

While exact numbers are not available, around 500-1000 Vijayanta MBT (the Vickers MBT locally retrofitted with a 105 mm gun) are in service and another 1000 are kept in store. The over-hauling of the Vijayanta fleet was discontinued in 1999. The Vijayanta tanks are to be phased out by the end of 10th Army plan i.e. by 2007. These are being replaced by indigenously produced T-72 tanks and procurement of T-90S tanks ex-import. Vijayanta tanks were inducted in the Army from 1966 onwards and a total of 2141 such tanks was in service. These tanks have outlived their expected life and, hence, were in the process of being phased out.

As of 2000 the army planned to phase out the Vijayantas and T-55s by 2010, replacing them with upgraded T-72M1s and T-90s.

T-55 MBT

The Project Gulmohar upgrade program for the T-55 MBT was reportedly almost complete as of late 1999, but in fact seems not to have been completed until 2008. . Some reports claim that most of India's T-55s have not been upgraded, and that over 90 percent of India's T-54/T-55 inventory is considered non-operational. The 700+ in service [another 200 are in storage] were expected to remain in service through 2015. In 2001 the Army decided to phase out the T-55 over seven years and replace them with upgraded T-72M1 MBTs.

As of 2000 the army planned to phase out the T-55s by 2010, replacing them with upgraded T-72M1s and T-90s. However, by 2005 it had been decided that the T-55 tanks held by the Indian Army were to remain in service up till 2017. The second overhaul of these tanks was to commence in 2000. Between 1999-2000 and 2003-2004, 450 tanks were to be overhauled at the rate of 90 per annum. Against this, 512 ABW overhauled only 285 tanks or 63 per cent of the tanks. This had an adverse impact on the operational readiness of large number of tanks that are due for overhaul.

T-72M1

Licensed production of the T-72M1 Ajeya at Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) Avadi ended in 1998, and over a 15-year period more than 1,100 tanks were produced. According to some reports at least 70 percent of the T-72 inventory is not considered fully battleworthy. Summer is a difficult season for armored formations. Temperatures inside the T-72 Ajeya main battle tank rise upwards of 60° Celsius in the summer heat, and as of mid-2002 the Army had only just started receiving imported ice-packed vests. The T-72 also suffers from high levels of heat-related engine problems. The Indian army has a program to upgraded 1,500 T-72MIs by enhancing their power packs, fire control systems, night fighting capability and the tank's ability to fire fin stabilising discarding Sabot rounds. This program has been delayed by the start-up of local production of the T-90.

T-90S MBT

A contract was signed in 2001 with M/s Rosovoorouzhenie, Russia for the import of 124 fully formed T-90S Bhisma tanks and 186 tanks in completely knocked down (CKD)/semi knocked down (SKD) condition along with transfer of technology for indigenous manufacture in India. The new Russian T-90 tanks being delivered in kits which will be assembled in India. The fully formed 124 T-90 tanks will cost over Rs 1400 crore while the 186 semi knocked down and completely knocked down tanks over Rs 2225 crore. With the induction of 124 fully formed imported tanks and production of 186 tanks through Semi-Knocked Down and Completely Knocked Down kits, followed by indigenous production of 1000 tanks, T-90 is expected to be the Main Battle Tank (MBT) of the Army till the end of the XII Plan.

But by 2015 almost all the projects of ciooperaton between India and Russia, except for missiles and submarines, faced insurmountable differences over technology and a list of components and assemblies, that the Russians could not or would not pass the to India. The first to fall off was the tanks. Officially it was said that the development of the Indian tank "Arjun", proved to be more successful in characteristics. In fact, there are several other reasons. According to rumors, the Russians began to use elements for on-board systems that were manufactured in China, instead of the French, due to the Ukraien inspried embargo. India does not have good relationships with China. There were other reasons not related to the performance characteristics. In short, with tanks topic was closed.

Arjun MBT

The Arjun main battle tank has been under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) since 1983. To complement indigenous production, in 1994 Russia agreed to help India modernize its T-72 tanks and to sell and lease other types of weapons. It is generally understood that about 70 percent of India's military equipment is of Soviet origin. Some army officials continue to favor Russian-made equipment, such as the T-72 tank, over Indian adaptations of the same items, such as the T-72M1 tank developed by the DRDO.

The first production batch of five indigenously manufactured Main Battle Tank Arjun rolled out of the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi, Tamil Nadu on August 7, 2004. At that time Chief of Army Staff, Gen NC Vij said that he would be happy if the HVF rolled out 50 tanks every year. An indent has been placed for 124 MBT Arjun tanks for raising one regiment each during the X & XI Plan periods.