I get that but what level of protection can you expect from a light tank??!! I mean, their armor is no better than that of a modern IFV and their armor is hardly sufficient (if at all) to defend against any kind of even half-decent anti-tank weapon. So, don't you think that, if our army wants to deploy armored forces in Ladakh to act as a sort of mobile blocking force, then wouldn't it be more prudent to just deploy more MBTs like T 90Ms supported by ATGM carriers and gunships acting as a screen??
But in any case, it seems just moot since I don't believe the Army would ever gonna deploy any light tanks in Ladakh anyway.
Interesting....
Weapon platforms are designed for a purpose and an environment. Kind of threat and levels of Threat is an important part of the environment.
Tanks are designed for a dense anti tank environment and the purpose of tank is to be able to face anti tank weapons and breakthrough it either by penetration or bypassing to carry out the desired maneuver. Henec tanks are designed for protection from anti-tank fire, defeat anti-tank environment (mainly tanks) by fire power and carry out quick maneuvers (mobility).
On the contrary, the APC is designed to function in a light anti tank or suppressed anti tank environment but heavy anti-personnel environment in association with tanks. So the emphasis is on providing protection against small arms fire. give it a preponderance of small arms fire and mobility so that Infantry personnel could perform their tasks.
The over all idea is to achieve the togetherness of tanks and Infantry soldiers and not allow their separation due to enemy actions. That though may always may not be possible to achieve.
Therefore technologies have developed system that combine a tank and APC and make that as heavily protected carrier of infantry.. like Merkava.
yet again light tanks have been developed mainly to provide extended mobility to the platform wherein these can be taken to the objective areas by sea, helicopters, air-dropped or air transported. And to the araes where one doe not expect heavy anti tank environment like LICO. Basically those have been designed for expeditionary tasks. Korean Light tank is an example of it.
But the Indians are talking of only a light tank minus it being an infantry carrier. Such thinking envisages that Tank and Infantry is either have a separate carrier like BMP or tanks are only used as Infantry support weapons. Tanks are light only for the sake of transportability or amphibious requirements.
Hence. at the superficial look of it it appears as if IA has no doctrine for a light tank except for transportability... lift those and put those at Depsang. But what after that ?? That much effort for a platform that can not take a RPG shot ?? Not worth it.. Then India may as well go in for transportable Meduim tank of 34 - 38 ton class by L&T.
But if this light tank is an infantry carrier the entire perspective changes.. then it is a potent weapon for all expeditionary operations.. then It is a potent platform for recce and support, Flank protection, Scouting, command posts, MOUT. riverine terrain and even high altitude operations.. Then it is a BMP2 mounted with a gun... BMP up engined to minimum 800hp...
DRDO must get cracking on such product.
