DRDO tests light battle tank Zorawar for deployment in eastern Ladakh sector against China

Jointly developed by DRDO and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Limited, Zorawar is designed to meet the Indian Army's requirements in the eastern Ladakh sector against Chinese deployment across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Additionally, the tank has been developed in a record time of two years.

DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat today reviewed the progress made in the project at the Larsen and Toubro plant at Hajira in Gujarat.

In light of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, UAVs and loitering munitions have been integrated into the tanks.

The tank is named after 19th-century Dogra General Zorawar Singh, who led armed operations in Ladakh and Western Tibet.

The light tank Zorawar, weighing 25 tonnes, marks the first instance of a new tank being designed and prepared for trials in such a short time.

Initially, 59 of these tanks will be provided to the Army, with plans for a major program to produce 295 more of these armoured vehicles, reported ANI.

Due to its light weight, the Indian Air Force can transport two tanks at a time in C-17 class transport aircraft, and the tank is capable of operating at high speeds in mountain valleys.

The trials are expected to be completed within the next 12-18 months, after which the tanks will be ready for induction.

While the first batch of ammunition is being sourced from Belgium, the DRDO is prepared to develop the ammunition indigenously.

Owing to its amphibious capabilities, the lightweight Zorawar tank can navigate steep mountain climbs and cross rivers and other water bodies much more easily than its predecessors, such as the heavier T-72 and T-90 tanks, according to an India Today report.