India’s new light tank Zorawar, designed for rapid deployment and high mobility in the mountains, fired for the first time at the Mahajan firing range near Bikaner on Friday, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announcing that it has successfully conducted the preliminary field trials of the 25-tonne tank whose performance was exceptional.
“During the field trials conducted in the desert, the light tank demonstrated exceptional performance, efficiently meeting all the intended objectives. In the initial phase, the tank’s firing performance was rigorously evaluated, and it achieved the required accuracy on designated targets,” the DRDO said in a statement.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh described the development as a significant step towards India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in critical defence systems and technologies.
The tank has been jointly developed by DRDO and Larsen & Toubro under Project Zorawar to meet the Indian Army’s requirement for 354 light tanks. It was developed from scratch in two years. DRDO chief Samir V Kamat reviewed the first prototype of the tank at L&T’s Hazira facility in Gujarat on July 6 when it was unveiled.
“The tank’s 105mm gun fired smoothly. The next set of trials will involve missile firing. DRDO is expected to wrap up various trials by January 2025 before the tank is offered to the army for extensive user trials,” said a top official monitoring the project, who asked not to be named.
The user trials could take 12 to 18 months as the army will test the performance of the tank in summer, winter and high altitude before it can go into production, said a second official, who also asked not to be named.
“Numerous Indian industries, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), contributed to the development of various sub-systems, showcasing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities,” DRDO said.
It added that the highly versatile platform is capable of deployment in high-altitude areas.
The tank is expected to be ready for induction into service in 2027, strengthening the army’s posture against the Chinese forces along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has inducted and fielded several modern tanks, including light tanks with a high power-to-weight ratio, across LAC. The military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh is now in its fifth year, with no indication of a resolution to the lingering problems even as India is hoping that ongoing negotiations with the neighbour will help restore the status quo ante of April 2020.
The Indian Army has deployed scores of heavier Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks in the Ladakh theatre, but they have their own limitations as they were designed for operations in plains and deserts. The need for light tanks with adequate firepower, protection, surveillance and communication capabilities was felt after the border row began.
The new capability will cost around ₹17,500 crore.
The light tank can be transported by air, is capable of amphibious operations, and can fire at high angles of elevation and perform the role of limited artillery.
It has been named after the legendary general, Zorawar Singh, who led the Dogra forces a record six times, between 1834 and 1841, to victories in Ladakh and Tibet. In May 1841, he led a 5,000-strong Dogra force into Tibet and within weeks overran the Chinese forces and captured their Mantalai flag.
In December 2022, the defence acquisition council (DAC), headed by Singh, gave its acceptance of necessity (AoN) to defence projects worth ₹84,328 crore to sharpen the combat potential of the armed forces with new military hardware, including the light tanks. Under India’s defence procurement rules, AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware.
On September 3, 2024, DAC gave its approval for the procurement of military hardware worth ₹1.45 lakh crore, including future-ready combat vehicles (FRCVs). The army plan to induct 1,770 FRCVs — the platform will be a futuristic battle tank — to modernise the armoured corps at a cost of around ₹45,000 crore.
