Indian Army T- 90 (Bhishma) and T- 72 (M-1) Tanks

WolfPack86

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On 11 Nov first overhauled T-90S Bhisma rolled out from HVF, OFB



posting some exclusive images of the upgraded T72 Ajeya-IIs in Indian Army service. The Ajeya has seen upgrades to engine, indigenous ERA-II, a FCS and better situational awareness for the commander and gunner. These, alongside T90S form the core of Indian armor.


Here is the latest upgraded Indian Army T72 ajeya Mk1 with TIFCS Pic Indian Army Day 2020


#IndianArmy receive the upgraded T-72M1 #Ajaya Mk2. CI-Ajeya (Combat Improved Ajeya) tank is the modernized version of #T72. The tank capability was enhanced with Global Positioning System (#GPS), Next generation Explosive Reactive Armour

Indian army t 72 tank
 

WolfPack86

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Pearson Engineering to Supply 1,500 Track Width Mine Ploughs to Indian Army
Pearson Engineering is pleased to announce that we are now under contract to supply over 1,500 Track Width Mine Ploughs (TWMP) to the Indian Ministry of Defence. The order, which will see the Pearson plough integrated with the T-90 S/SK tank, will be delivered in partnership with BEML Limited.

With previous experience in integrating counter-mine capabilities with the T-72, T-90, Arjun Mk1

Main Battle Tank and BMP-2 Armoured Vehicles, Pearson Engineering is proud to be a current supplier to the Indian Army.


Dr. Deepak Kumar Hota, Chairman and Managing Director of BEML said, “We are proud to be associated with MoD to enhance the combat capabilities of the Indian Army. This is another example of BEML’s capability to meet the specific requirements for our armed forces. BEML signifies the true spirit of Make in India”.

Mr Richard Beatson, Business Development Director at Pearson Engineering said, “We are delighted to have received this important order alongside our partners at BEML. Having been committed to developing capability for India for many years, we look forward to further developing our relationships, both with the end-user and Indian industry.”

The track width mine plough will enable the Indian Army’s T-90 tanks to move through mined areas, whilst remaining highly mobile. Pearson Engineering has a long heritage in the supply and integration of mine ploughs to Armed Forces around the world.

BEML is a leading multi-technology company that plays a pivotal role in serving India’s core sectors of Defence, Rail, Power, Mining and Construction by offering world class products from state-of-the art manufacturing facilities located across India.

Pearson Engineering is based at the Armstrong Works in Newcastle upon Tyne. The site, formerly the home of Vickers Defence, has long historic links with India, having previously supplied Vijayanta

Main Battle Tanks for the Indian Armoured Corps.
 

Aniruddha Mulay

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Do we have an upgrade plan to upgrade the ERA on the T-90S Bhishma to T-90MS, T-90M levels?
 

WolfPack86

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INSTALLATION OF TWMPS IN T-90 MAIN BATTLE TANKS: QUANTUM INCREASE IN ARMY’S BHISHMA MBT'S LETHALITY
by Barshan Karmakar

The Ministry of Defence of the Government of India has been successful in securing its hold over an INR 557 Crores deal for the BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited) facilities regarding the purchase of around more than 1,500 new TWMPs (Track Width Mine Ploughs) from the Pearson Engineering Limited of United Kingdom. The Pearson Engineering Limited is a quite renowned Engineering Company located at Newcastle’s Armstrong Works which has strong and legendary historical relation with India spanning to the times when the Vijayanta Main Battle Tanks were supplied to the Indian Army. The firm has been a long time supplier and technical aider for enhancing India's defence equipment, most famously it has worked in terms of integrating the counter-mine capabilities into the T-72 ‘Ajeya’, Arjun Main Battle Tank, and the BMP-2 'Sarath' Infantry Fighting Vehicle of the Indian Army’s Armoured Corps, Mechanized Infantry and Corps of Engineers Regiments.

This deal comes as of 20th January 2021 mostly as an integrated partnership to meet the specific technical requirements of the Indian Armed Forces under the banner of the Make in India Initiative of the Government of India. The condition that has been associated concerning this deal is based on the factor that out of all the 1,500+ TWMPs the BEML facilities will supply 100 Ploughs in the upcoming 12 months and by the time 250 ploughs would be transferred in the subsequent years, which would fulfil all the terms and conditions of the entire deal. However, concerning the policies of the Make in India initiative, the contract has also been stressed on the condition of buying and making categorization for a minimum share of 50% indigenous content of the contract.

These TWMPs (Track Width Mine Ploughs) are the most effective and lethal in terms of their technical structure and strength. They will help in the smooth facilitation of individual mobility of the Main Battle Tanks of the Indian Army at the times when they will be negotiating through a mine-field while driving through their Combat Operations. The basic aim is to increase or develop the mobility of the tank fleet that would help in terms of enhancing the manifolds by extending the reach of the armoured fleet deep inside through the enemy territory by smoothly avoiding any casualties caused due to the bursting of land or tank mines. Also, it has been guaranteed by the Indian Army that after induction of these TWMPs, they would be tested under various soil conditions to prove their customization and suitability in times of real operations.

Richard Beatson, the Business Development Director of the Pearson Engineering Limited, UK has stated that; in terms of developing the capability of the Indian Armed Forces, Pearson Engineering has been committed and supported the process for a long time and would like to continue with its work on developing their relations with the Indian Defence Industries at the present scenario with a vision to the upcoming future.

The main aim, in this case, is focused on developing the protective strength of the T-90 S/SK 'Bhishma' Main Battle Tanks of the Indian Army. As a whole, the Indian Army currently has a total number of around 1,640 T-90 Tanks in its service fleet, as per data of 2018-2020. So the mission is to integrate more than 1,500 TWMPs in these Tanks.

Currently, such dedicated TWMPs are integrated with the Arjun Mk-1A Main Battle Tanks of the Indian Army. The TWMPs in Arjun are designed as a matter of the compact stows with maximized approach angles that would help in impeding the operations of the gun turrets when it will be depressing. It gives the Arjun Tank the capability to drive through a rapid surface passage containing mined obstacles by creating a track for the other tanks to follow. These ploughs would help in clearing all IED and Mined fields thereby, leading to their detonation reducing their tractive efforts. It will also help in terms of maintaining the depth control by skids in the ground in undulating terrains by helping it to operate at wide soil conditions and ranges. The TWMPs of the Arjun tanks are also fully integrated with MSD systems that are available to counter magnetically fused mines in times of being replaceable with a low maintenance cost.

Taking into comparison with the Arjun MK-1A’s TWMPs, those which are about to be installed in the T-90 S/SK Bhishma would be stronger with modern or effective technology and nature. These Track Width Mine Ploughs will be developed with the need to meet demands of modern era warfare capabilities, thereby giving it the ability to rapidly force a passage through a ground laid by mined obstacles helping the tanks to engage through a clear path. For the T-90 tanks, this system will be used to negotiate all mines from the track width of the host vehicles. Also, it would help the tanks to negotiate Anti-Tank or Anti-Personnel Mines buried deep inside the surface of the land.

In terms of its in-depth specification, these ploughs are composed of self-contained units that will be connected to the vehicle mounting arrangement and the electrical power system of the Tank. It would also minimize the tractive efforts of the Tanks, thereby taking it to operate at a wide range of soils, like loose sand and loams, mostly found at the Thar Desert of Rajasthan or the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. A major advantage these Mine Ploughs have is that it would help in minimizing the detonating effects of the mines and would also require minimum maintenance cost.

Some basic General Specifications of the TWMPs of T-90 Main Battle Tanks are;

• Clear lane width- 2x0.75 m
• Number of times- 2x4
• Ploughing depth- 150-275 mm
• Maximum Weight- 1500 kilograms
• Operating Voltage- 24/28 Vdc.
• Current (Maximum) - 240A
• Minimum Life (Plough) - 30 kilometres
• Minimum Life (Raised) – 1000 kilometres
However, considering the importance of the requirements posed by the tank fleet of the Indian Army, it is needed to develop and prepare our tanks to take up any call of operation being deployed at any terrain. With the ongoing challenges to India's security by Pakistan and China, these efforts come to be an addition to determine the technical and operational preparedness strength of the Indian Armed Forces.
 

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India’s Defense Ministry Signs $2.8 Billion Deal For 464 T-90MS Main Battle Tanks
The Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has inked a $2.8 billion contract with the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to license-build 464 additional T-90S main battle tanks (MBTs) for service in the Indian Army.

According to IHS Jane’s, the deal with OFB’s Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) was signed on November 6 and is part of a series of earlier contracts for the license-production of 1,000 T-90S MBTs.

HVF signed contracts in 2006 and 2007 to build 1,000 T-90S Bhishma MBTs. However, under 400 MBTs have been delivered to date.

“The program has faced recurring technological problems for several years, especially with regard to the MBT’s 125 mm smoothbore gun barrel, which has resulted in extended delays and cost overruns” according to IHS Jane’s. These problems have reportedly been resolved.

Notably, the November 6 contract is separate from the planned procurement of another batch of 464 T-90MS for an estimated $1.93 billion from Russia.

Under the yet-to-be signed contract, the T-90S MBTs are set to be delivered in kit form for assembly by HVF in Avadi in southeastern India. Since the early 2000s, the HVF has also assembled 400-450 T-90S tanks imported from Russia in kit form.

The Indian MoD’s Defense Acquisition Council initially approved the procurement of the 464 MS MBTs in kit form in November 2016. India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) greenlighted the procurement in April of this year.

According to media reports, the Indian MoD is not willing to sign the contract unless Russian tank maker Uralvagonzavod increases local production of the T-90MS MBT from 40 percent to 80 percent. This will prove difficult to achieve as HVF does not produce engines or transmissions and the MBTs main gun comes factory-fitted from Uralvagonzavod.

The April 2019 contract was also discussed during the a meeting of the 9th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) that took place earlier this month in Moscow.

As I reported in April, Russian-made tanks constitute the backbone of the Indian Army’s armored force :

Russia delivered the first T-90S MBTs to India in January 2004. There are currently around 1,000-1,100 T-90 MBTs of both the MS and Bhishma S variants in service, although the operational readiness rate of the tanks remains unclear. According to one estimate, 850-900 are of the T-90S Bhishma variant. Of the two, the T-90MS MBT is the more advanced design.
The Army also operates the Arjun MK-I tank, an indigenously developed MBT based on the German Leopard II tank design. The 464 Tu-90S MBTs under the November 6 contract are expected to equip 10 armored regiments and will be delivered to the service within four to five years. The Indian Army fields over 3,000 MBTs divided into around 65 armored regiments.
 

WolfPack86

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India Approves Procurement of 464 T-90MS Main Battle Tanks
India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a $1.93 billion procurement of 464 Russian-made T-90MS main battle tanks (MBTs) for service in the Indian Army earlier this month.

The signing of a final contract between the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Russia’s arms export agency, Rosoboronexport, could take place in the coming months. However, according to Defense News, it is unlikely that the MoD will sign the contract unless Russian tank maker Uralvagonzavod increases local production of the T-90MS MBT from 40 percent to 80 percent.

According to Indian Army officers, cited by IHS Jane’s, the new MBTs will be delivered in kit form for assembly by India’s state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), a subdivision of the Ordnance Factories Board, in Avadi in southeastern India. The officers stated that the T-90MS acquisition became necessary due to delays in the license-production of the T-90S Bhishma MBT.

While the HVF signed contracts in 2006 and 2007 to build 1,000 T-90S Bhishma MBTs, to date under 400 have been delivered to the Indian Army, which the first batch of 10 inducted into service with the Indian Army in 2009. Since the early 2000s, the HVF has also assembled 400-450 T-90S tanks imported from Russia in kit form. “Till now India has received 310 plus 347 T-90 tanks from Russia, whether fully formed or assembled in [the HVF],” a defense official was quoted as saying by Defense News.

Russia delivered the first T-90S MBTs to India in January 2004. There are currently around 1,000-1,100 T-90 MBTs of both the MS and Bhishma S variants in service, although the operational readiness rate of the tanks remains unclear. According to one estimate, 850-900 are of the T-90S Bhishma variant. Of the two, the T-90MS MBT is the more advanced design.

The MoD’s Defense Acquisition Council approved the procurement of the 464 MS MBTs in November 2016. The new tanks are expected to form the core of 10 armored regiments. The Indian Army currently fields over 3,000 MBTs divided into around 65 armored regiments. As I noted elsewhere:

The backbone of the force remains 1,900 T-72M1 Ajeyas imported in the 1980s, 1,500 of which are slated to be retrofitted with more powerful engines, new fire control systems, reactive armor, fire detection and suppression systems, as well as new communication and navigation systems under the Combat Improved Ajeya program, code-named Project Rhino.
The service also deploys the Arjun MK-I tank, an indigenously developed MBT based on the German Leopard II tank design, of which anywhere from 80 to 124 are currently operational.

“India’s MoD issued a global request for information (RFI) in November 2017 to develop and build 1,770 armored fighting vehicles, principally to replace the Indian Army’s T-72 MBTs in the next decade,” I wrote in October 2018. “A request for proposal (RFP), the next stage in the procurement process, however, has not been issued to date.”
 

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India Approves Procurement of 464 T-90MS Main Battle Tanks
India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a $1.93 billion procurement of 464 Russian-made T-90MS main battle tanks (MBTs) for service in the Indian Army earlier this month.

The signing of a final contract between the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Russia’s arms export agency, Rosoboronexport, could take place in the coming months. However, according to Defense News, it is unlikely that the MoD will sign the contract unless Russian tank maker Uralvagonzavod increases local production of the T-90MS MBT from 40 percent to 80 percent.

According to Indian Army officers, cited by IHS Jane’s, the new MBTs will be delivered in kit form for assembly by India’s state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), a subdivision of the Ordnance Factories Board, in Avadi in southeastern India. The officers stated that the T-90MS acquisition became necessary due to delays in the license-production of the T-90S Bhishma MBT.

While the HVF signed contracts in 2006 and 2007 to build 1,000 T-90S Bhishma MBTs, to date under 400 have been delivered to the Indian Army, which the first batch of 10 inducted into service with the Indian Army in 2009. Since the early 2000s, the HVF has also assembled 400-450 T-90S tanks imported from Russia in kit form. “Till now India has received 310 plus 347 T-90 tanks from Russia, whether fully formed or assembled in [the HVF],” a defense official was quoted as saying by Defense News.

Russia delivered the first T-90S MBTs to India in January 2004. There are currently around 1,000-1,100 T-90 MBTs of both the MS and Bhishma S variants in service, although the operational readiness rate of the tanks remains unclear. According to one estimate, 850-900 are of the T-90S Bhishma variant. Of the two, the T-90MS MBT is the more advanced design.

The MoD’s Defense Acquisition Council approved the procurement of the 464 MS MBTs in November 2016. The new tanks are expected to form the core of 10 armored regiments. The Indian Army currently fields over 3,000 MBTs divided into around 65 armored regiments. As I noted elsewhere:


The service also deploys the Arjun MK-I tank, an indigenously developed MBT based on the German Leopard II tank design, of which anywhere from 80 to 124 are currently operational.

“India’s MoD issued a global request for information (RFI) in November 2017 to develop and build 1,770 armored fighting vehicles, principally to replace the Indian Army’s T-72 MBTs in the next decade,” I wrote in October 2018. “A request for proposal (RFP), the next stage in the procurement process, however, has not been issued to date.”
What the hell..
The article says India has T-90 MS...
 

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