HAHAHAHHAHA ...........now T 90 & its worshipers need the help of media to justify its survival in IA. Now we have to learn about firing accuracy & night vision capability from NDTV fiction writers. excellent developements
Just to prove your point here is a related report...
Russian-built T-90 tanks' thermal imaging system flawed
Army suffers an estimated loss of Rs 620 crore
BY Ritu Sharma
Delhi
The Indian Army has detected flaws with the thermal imaging system of the Russian-built T-90 main battle tanks (MBTs), inducted in its fleet three years ago, causing an estimated loss of Rs 620 crore.
Rechristened as 'Bhishma,' T-90s' flaw came to light during its comparative trials with the indigenous MBT Arjun during peak summers in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
According to the report submitted by the Indian Army, the French Catherine thermal imaging (TI) camera giving T-90s its night vision capability and higher precision is not "adequately tropicalised." It simply cannot function in the extreme condition for which it was supposed to function. Because of this the thermal imaging camera is prone to malfunction in extreme temperature conditions of Rajasthan, where it is deployed.
"During the trials it was observed that the temperatures inside the tank goes up to 55-60 degree Celsius resulting in the blurring of images taken by the camera," a senior Indian Army officer told Financial World on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.
Following the repeated delay in the MBT Arjun project, the Indian Army had opted for Russian-made T-90 tanks to counter-balance Pakistan's acquisition of Ukraine-built T-80 tanks. Majority of T-90s would be deployed in the western sector bordering Pakistan, where mercury soars to intolerable levels during summers.
The report describes the thermal imaging cameras as the 'eyes' of the tank. While the tank costs around Rs 12 crore, each of these systems cost (including) Rs 2 crore. Prolonged use of the tank in extreme weather conditions has already rendered 80-90 of such systems "unserviceable."
The Indian Army is deliberating to get a locally effective air conditioning system for the thermal imaging camera. However, nothing concrete has happened on this front.
French defence major Thales Land and Joint Systems had signed a contract with Russian Rosoboronexport to supply Catherine thermal imaging cameras for T-90s in 2007. The camera operates in the 8-12 micrometre infrared frequency band and is designed to be retrofitted into existing main battle tank fire control system. Russia started licensed production of the cameras earlier this year.
This is not the first time the T-90 project has run into problems. In 2001 India had contracted for 310 T-90 tanks for Rs 3,625 crore. Out these 310 tanks, 124 were purchased off the shelf, while the rest 184 were bought in semi-knocked down conditions and were to be assembled at Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) at Avadi in Tamil Nadu. There was a follow-on contract for 330 T-90s.
Under the contract, Russia was to complete transfer of technology to India for indigenous manufacturing of 1,000 T-90s at HVF by 2006. However, following chronic delay in technology transfer the first indigenous T-90 tank rolled out of the factory only in 2010.
Earlier, lack of cooling systems inside the tank led to uninhabitable temperatures of 60 degree Celsius. This made the Indian Army scout for an air conditioning system for the tank. The fire control systems of T-90s also suffered malfunctions on various occasion.
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main47.asp?filename=Ws171110Defence.asp