Article Posted on : - Nov 23, 2009

The T-72 tank in Indian Army's arsenal.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Russian-made T-72 tank fleet of the Indian Army is undergoing an upgradation programme to equip thermal imaging capabilities to its night vision system, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lower House in a written reply during question hour that the process of upgrading the night fighting capabilities of the T-72 tanks with thermal imaging was an ongoing process.

He said the fleet was being optimally used and was the mainstay of the present tank fleet. “The entire fleet of this tank is fully battle worthy with high mission and operational reliability.”

Of the total holding of T-72 tanks, a part of them was already equipped with high-end technology night vision device, which was fully integrated and exploited, he said.

India currently operates about 1,800 T-72 tanks.

Antony also said ten indigenously produced T-90 tanks under Transfer of Technology agreement with Russia were handed over to the Army on August 24 this year and the tanks' salient features were similar to the first lot of T-90 tanks imported from Russia.

India had in 2001 bought 310 T-90 tanks from Russia with the scope for manufacturing 1,000 of them indigenously through technology transfer. Last year, India had placed a follow-on order for 300 more T-90 tanks from Russia.