• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

INDIA HAS URGENT REQUIREMENT TO BUY LIGHT TANKS

October 9, 2009 by

INDIA HAS URGENT REQUIREMENT TO BUY LIGHT TANKS
By Bulbul Singh

09 Oct 09. The Indian Army is purchasing 300 light tanks on an urgent
basis from the global market. Indian army officials say these tanks need to be deployed as soon as possible along the Indo-Chinese border. Request for Information(RFI) has been sent to half a dozen defence companies in Europe, Russia, Israel, and the USA.

The multi million dollar tender is for the purchase of 200 light tanks (wheeled) and 100 light tanks (tracked).

A defence ministry official said, “The urgency of the procurement
can be gauged from the fact that the global defence producers have been given only one month to file details of their tanks, the last date is October 30 this year. Thereafter, a formal tender is expected to be floated by the end of the year after the Qualitative Requirements are drawn based on the RFI submitted by the defence companies.

Defence ministry sources also said, “The Indian government rejected a proposal by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO), that they can produce a light tank in India.

The Indian Army has demanded the purchase of 300 tanks on an urgent basis to be deployed along the higher reaches of the
Sino-Indian border and also along theIndo-Pakistani border.

The Indian defence ministry has tentatively drawn a plan to procure defence weaponry and equipment mainly to be deployed along the Sino-Indian border. Recently there have been reports of escalation in cross border firing along the Sino-Indian border.

“The light tanks would be air transported to the higher reaches. The light tanks to be procured would weight up to 25 tonnes and are light enough to be air transported.” said an Indian army official.

Currently, the Indian Army is using a Main Battle Tank which weighs around 40-45 tons and cannot be deployed in the mountainous region.

The purchase of light tanks comes as the procurement process to purchase 155mm/52 calibre Light howitzer guns has run into trouble as one of the bidders, Singapore Technologies has been implicated by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation in an alleged corruption case involving the state-owned Ordnance Factories Board. Indian government blacklisted seven domestic and overseas defence companies including Singapore Technologies and Israeli Military Industries (IMI)in June this year.

The Indian Army sent an SOS to the Indian defence ministry two years ago thatit was likely to face serious shortages of tanks in the future as its strength of over 3000 tanks will get depleted on account of scrapping due to age and obsolescence.

Around fifty per cent of the 3500 Indian Army tanks will be scrapped in the next five-to-seven years and the Indian Army has been requesting the Indian defence ministry to purchase additional tanks in fully formed structure to met the shortages estimated in the years ahead.

“More weapons and equipment will be deployed along the Sino-Indian border will be bought in the next two-to-three years on an urgent basis to strengthen India’s combat worthiness compared to China.” added the defence ministry official.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • KME logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    January 27, 2023
    Read more
  • VETERANS UPDATE

    January 27, 2023
    Read more
  • MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE

    January 27, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT