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Govt buys non-AC tanks, draws CAG fire - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: India's main-battle tanks, the Russian-origin T-90S, are without any airconditioning. Apart from crew discomfort, this is "degrading" the sophisticated fire-control systems, thermal-imaging sights and missile firing mechanisms of the tanks due to their prolonged exposure to heat and dust conditions.
The latest CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, has fired a salvo at the defence ministry and the Army for signing deals worth Rs 9,083 crore with Russia for 657 T-90S tanks, and concluding another Rs 330 crore contract for transfer of technology to indigenously produce another such 1,000 tanks at the Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory, without providing for the critical air-conditioners.
"Ignoring the recommendations of the trial team (which tested the tanks in Russia in 1999), the MoD procured the tanks in 2001 and 2007 without ACs, rendering the fleet vulnerable to degradation of sensitive components," said CAG.
The T-90S fleet, as reported by TOI earlier, has grappled with glitches in its missile and thermal imaging systems right since its induction after India first ordered 310 of these tanks for over Rs 4,087 crore under a February 2001 contract with Russia.
With the next order for 347 tanks in November 2007 and the indigenously-produced tanks also beginning to roll out subsequently, the Army has till now inducted about 800 such tanks. All are without ACs despite the MoD and Army belatedly realizing the desperate need for them.
"The tanks are basically meant for the western sector with Pakistan. Temperatures in the Thar desert can soar to even 50 degree Celsius. The tank commanders usually keep the tank cupola or hatch open," said an officer.
In June 2009, the AK Antony-led defence acquisitions council had approved the acquisition of 1,657 ACs to equip all the tanks at a cost of Rs 597 crore. But the project is yet to materialize.
India, incidentally, had gone in for the T-90S tanks since Pakistan was inducting T-80UD tanks from Ukraine as well as 'Al Khalid' MBTs developed with China's help, and the indigenous Arjun tanks were then nowhere on the horizon.
