Defence & Security

India Is Building Hybrid Tank; Crossbreeding T-72 With T-90

After observing Russia's move against Ukraine and closely observing the Russian tank battle against Ukrainian tank and drone forces, the Indian government has decided to build a tank and upgrade the existing main battle tank with the help of a new Tank armory and newly updated engine, that could add extra fuel to India's already existing excellent firepower.

The Indian army still operates 1,700 T-72M1 Main Battle Tanks, 700 to 800 of which will be retired in the coming years and replaced by the more advanced T-90 Bhishma and indigenously developed Arjun battle tank, and the rest will be upgraded to the new generation of tanks keeping enemy's firepower and anti-tank capability in mind.

This is not the first time the Indian army has undertaken such projects. Previously, Indian battle tank manufacturers developed a tank with a T-72M1 (Ajeya) chassis and the turret and weapon system of the Arjun MBT, but the project was rejected by the Indian army because the Indian army formed a second line of defense with 1200 T-90 tanks and the advancement of anti-tank missiles at the time.

At this time, the Indian army is giving the project a new look after keenly observing the Russian-Ukaine battle.

The T-72M1 tanks are being reinforced with the help of DRDO's Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA), which was originally developed for the Arjun MBT.

The hybrid of the T-72 and T-90 will be powered by the V92S2 high-power multifuel engine that boasts 1,000 hp and has been specifically designed for the T-90 MBT.

After using T-72's performance on the battlefield, Russia is also developing an advanced version of the T-90, which will be known as the T-90M. Although, Russia has already developed the one of most advanced tanks in the world, the T-14 Armata.

The hybrid tank will be unveiled later this month. The tank will be tested for the desert environment after its arrival because India has fought most of its tank battles against Pakistan, the most famous of which was the battle of Asal Uttar.