Nah German hardware has been on a decline. It's overpriced and maintenance heavy. The Americans are pretty much the leader here. What would I really like from the Germans would be AMAP/MEXAS armour and the license production of l/55. That's it really. Their engine tech is meh compared to the Americans.
Zorawar: Light tank for Indian army
- Thread starter Ashwin
- Start date
And to add to both your points, Cummins also have their whole infra set-up here. They deliver engines to all Tata trucks.
Awesome decision by IA
Highly possible.
It should be noted that the German suppliers had no issue with selling engines for the Arjun (which, thanks to its weight is almost completely limited to the plains i.e. Western theatre), but the Light Tank is exclusively intended for the LAC and for this they probably have reservations about supplying.
This is why I keep saying we cannot count on the Europeans when it comes to going up against China. They have no interest & no wherewithal to jeopardize their economic relationship with the PRC for our sake. Whatever happens in the INDOPAC is fine for them as long as the shipping routes are operational.
Germany/EU absolutely cannot be counted upon...the French have relatively more independence in deciding their foreign policy (they are not as exposed to international trade as Germany is) but if it comes down to whether they're going to act against the obvious economic interests of the EU for our sake, I wouldn't bank on it too much. Yes, France unlike the rest of EU has active interests & territories in the INDOPAC, but they are still secondary to their primary interest which is Europe.
We are right in wanting to localize as much of the maintenance & repair infrastructure of foreign-origin platforms as possible.
Also to add the Germans sold the Chinese their most modern version of the MTU 873 engine while they gave us the MTU 838 for the Arjun's. Their type 99's run on MTU 873 based engine tech.
Indian light tank for high altitude operations to be ready this month
The first indigenously designed and developed light tank that will be capable of operating at high altitudes to counter Chinese armoured deployments is likely to be ready for trials by this month end.
Developed in record time, the light tank will undergo a series of trials in December as work on the prototype is nearing completion. The need for a light tank - in the 25 tonne category - was felt after tensions built up in eastern Ladakh in 2020 and China deployed light armour at high altitude locations.
Sources said that the Indian tank - tentatively named Zorawar by the Army - will have more mobility and higher accuracy fire power than the Chinese Type 15 tanks deployed on the Ladakh border.
The brand new tank, which features a 105 mm gun, was approved for development in April 2022 with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) choosing Larsen and Toubro (L&T) as its partner for the project.
Sources said that contrary to earlier reports, the tank is a brand new design with a unique chassis that has been developed indigenously. It does not rely on the K9 Vajra self-propelled gun chassis that is already being manufactured in India.
The weight of the tank has been kept at 25 tonnes to cater to higher mobility at extreme altitudes and will feature a 105 mm gun made by John Cockerill. For serial production of the tanks, this gun is likely to be produced in India. The tank is also likely to feature active protection against incoming attacks as well as an integrated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that will greatly enhance battlefield visibility.
The tank will be tasked to operate in all terrain from high altitude area to island territories and will be air transportable for rapid deployment.
So two different types of tanks will be inducted, what a logistic mess.
Why don't army give full commitment to drdo - l&t light tank what is the need of running this clown show.
I guess they want foreign maal, armoured corps will remain most corrupt branch.
Why don't army give full commitment to drdo - l&t light tank what is the need of running this clown show.
I guess they want foreign maal, armoured corps will remain most corrupt branch.
They showed a model of the tank with specs, don't think much will be changed, other than the engine.
59 is the minimum number promised by the IA for initial production. For the rest DRDO and L&T will have to participate in the bidding. Chances are they will win.