After a long time without an indigenous mild tank, India is ready to install the Zorawar Tank, a modern-day 25-ton mild tank engineered mainly for high-altitude and rugged terrains like Ladakh. Designed by CVRDE of DRDO and built using L&T, Zorawar will largely promote India’s rapid deployment of armoured capabilities and strengthen national security in challenging areas.
Key Features and Capabilities of Zorawar Tank
- Agile and Powerful Platform
- Weight: Twenty-five tonnes; designed for rapid deployment via air, road, or rail.
- Power: Seven-sixty hp Cummins diesel engine, achieving a power-to-weight ratio of thirty-fourty hp/tonne.
- Mobility: Speeds up to seventy km/h; cross-country thirty-fourty km/h.
- Advanced Armament and Fire Control
- Main Gun: 105 mm Cockerill 3105 turret with autoloader.
- Secondary: 7.62 mm RCWS, twin ATGM launchers, loitering munitions, UAV support.
- Protection & Awareness Systems
- Modular armour: STANAG Level 4 front, Level 2 around.
- Active protection system (APS), electronic counter-UAV systems, Safran Paseo EO sights for thermal imaging and range finding.
- Amphibious and Tactical Design
- Equipped for swimming and rugged river crossings, lightweight composite rubber tracks enhance mobility..
- Crew of three, compact for mountainous operation zones.
Development Timeline & Trials
- Rapid Development: Conceived post-2020 Galwan clash, prototyped in roughly two years.
- Automotive Trials: Completed in desert terrain (September 2024), successfully marking performance benchmarks.
- High-Altitude Tests: Conducted in Nyoma, Ladakh, during late 2024; engaging live firing under harsh conditions.
- Next Steps: User trials slated to begin by early September 2025, with expected army induction by 2027.
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Strategic Importance & Procurement Plans
- Border Superiority: Tailored to counter China’s Type-15 light tanks along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- Initial Orders: The Indian Army has ordered 59 tanks, with a total requirement of ~350 units under AoN (Acceptance of Necessity).
- Strategic Deployment: Zorawar regiments are expected to be deployed in key high-altitude sectors with superior mobility and response times.
Why Zorawar Tank Matters
- Geographically Tailored: Unlike heavy MBTs, Zorawar thrives in mountain passes, slim valleys, and high-altitude zones in which mobility and altitude capability are vital.
- Technological Leap: The tank’s integration of AI, APS, and advanced optics highlights India’s transition to tech-ahead land warfare systems.
- Strategic Autonomy: Indigenous development under Pay-in-India policies strengthens the domestic defence industrial base.
Final Verdict
Zorawar Light Tank is a crucial asset in the modernisation of India’s mountain warfare skills. A light, agile platform in a combination of speed, firepower, protection and smart system, it equates the Indian army with unmatched strategic flexibility with its high boundaries. Since the test is with progress and induction, Zorawar is ready to change land operations in the most challenging areas of India.
FAQs about Zorawar Tank
Ans. It’s an indigenous Indian light tank designed for high-altitude warfare.
Ans. To counter China’s light tanks along the LAC in difficult terrains.
Ans. About 25 tonnes for increased mobility in mountainous areas.
Ans. Equipped with a 105 mm gun, advanced fire control and ATGMS.
Ans. The first specimen is expected to be tested in 2025.
Ans. Yes, it is a large indigenous defence project.
Ans. It will complement heavier tanks like T-90 and Arjun in border deployments.