Article Posted on : - Jan 22, 2025

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Ministry of Defence Tuesday signed a Rs 1,561-crore contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory for the procurement of 47 T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks for the Indian Army, officials said.

Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) is a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL).

The contract was inked in the presence of senior officials of the Ministry and HVF, AVNL, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.

"The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory, a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, for the procurement of 47 Tank-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT) for the Indian Army at a total cost of Rs 1,560.52 crore," the Ministry said in a statement.

BLT is a critical equipment which is deployed to launch bridges during offensive and defensive operations by mechanised forces. It provides integral bridging capability to the tank and armoured vehicle fleet, enhancing battlefield mobility and offensive capability, it said.

"The present case being a Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) will give impetus to the 'Make in India' initiative in defence. This project will also play a pivotal role in boosting the overall economy and increasing employment avenues in the country," the statement said.