It is believed that the development of the light tank is aimed at countering the Chinese use of tanks.
New Delhi:
India's indigenous light tank has achieved a “major milestone” by firing a number of rounds with consistent accuracy at different ranges at an altitude of over 4,200 metres, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The highly versatile 25 ton class Indian Light Tank (ILT) has been developed to enhance the combat capabilities of the Army along the border with China.
The final trial of the tank followed the phase one trial in the desert environment in September.
“The Indian Light Tank has achieved a significant milestone by firing a number of rounds at different ranges at an altitude of over 4,200 meters at a high altitude location with consistently accurate results,” the ministry said.
The Indian Army is considering deploying more than 350 light tanks, especially in the mountainous border areas.
It is believed that the development of the light tank is aimed at countering the Chinese deployment of tanks of the same categories.
It has been successfully developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, a unit of the DRDO, in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering and Systems.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), Indian Army, Indian Air Force and L&T for the successful high-altitude tests of the light tank.
“The airlift capability of the ILT was also demonstrated by the Indian Air Force. Such a capability could contribute to the rapid deployment of the ILT in operational conditions that are remote and difficult to access by road or rail,” the ministry said in a statement.
The tank was designed about three years ago and the overall development phase has progressed very quickly, officials said.
“With these two phases of internal performance testing, which were actively supported by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, the ILT would undergo a number of further tests before being submitted for user testing,” the ministry said.
Secretary, Ministry of Defense R&D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat congratulated the entire light tank team, including industry partner L&T, for their efforts.
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