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An Indian Tank for Army Day rehearsal
REUTERS ^ | 01/15/04 | Kamal Kishotre

Posted on 01/24/2004 8:59:25 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

An Indian soldier salutes atop a T-90 tank during a rehearsal ahead of the Army Day parade in New Delhi, January 13, 2004. The T-90, India's first indigenously manufactured main battle tank, was on display during the rehearsal to show the country's military might. India celebrates its annual Army Day on January 15. REUTERS/Kamal Kishotre


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: armsbuildup; army; day; india; rehearsal; southasia; t90; tank
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To: David1
Because it is a Russian tank. It was just only built in India in agreement with the Russians.

Offshored from Russia to India. Is there anything that hasn't been offshored to India.

21 posted on 01/24/2004 11:27:18 AM PST by Euro-American Scum (A poverty-stricken middle class must be a disarmed middle class)
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To: Between the Lines; swarthyguy; alfa6; An Old Man; Archangelsk; archy; BCR #226; BlueLancer; ...
Yellow, why yellow?

For the parade. But it's a good base for camo in a desert/mountain region, and eventually, it'll get the other colours added.


22 posted on 01/24/2004 12:18:36 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
When I enlarge the photo...doesn't that look like John Kerry in the helmet?
23 posted on 01/24/2004 12:24:46 PM PST by Wisconsin
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To: RedMonqey
Because it is based on the Russian T-72 and T-80...
24 posted on 01/24/2004 1:42:50 PM PST by JasonC
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To: Between the Lines
The Pakistan-India border is a desert, the Great Thar Desert, east of the Indus river. The desert portion of the border stretches over 500 miles. Only a modest portion of the border up north around Lahore is fertile terrain, perhaps 200 miles.
25 posted on 01/24/2004 1:49:29 PM PST by JasonC
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To: PAR35; David1; RedMonqey
If this is the first indigeniously produced tank, Why isn't it a T-1?
It is a Russian designed variant of the T-72, with a less powerful engine than the T-80.

And it's not "India's first indigenously manufactured main battle tank,".

This is what it's replacing

"In 1961 an agreement was signed with India and a factory was setup in Avadi, near Madaras in India to produce the Mark 1 Vickers MBT as the Vijayanta ["victory tank"]. This resulted in the first one rolling of the line in 1969. "

26 posted on 01/24/2004 4:09:14 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (It is always tempting to impute unlikely virtues to the cute)
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To: Oztrich Boy
"In 1961 an agreement was signed with India and a factory was setup in Avadi, near Madaras in India to produce the Mark 1 Vickers MBT as the Vijayanta ["victory tank"]. This resulted in the first one rolling of the line in 1969. "

Just 8 years to assemble a proven design.

27 posted on 01/24/2004 5:19:01 PM PST by PAR35
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To: TigerLikesRooster
What happened to their indigenously designed tank the Arjana? and the Light Combat Aircraft they were building (or is it the one suppoed to go in service in 2007?)
28 posted on 01/25/2004 4:39:06 AM PST by Cronos (W2004!)
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To: archy
Nice low squat turret on that puppy.
Now if they could make the hull lower it'd be harder to hit.
But that'd also make it harder for it to climb certain obstacles
29 posted on 01/25/2004 11:06:33 AM PST by Darksheare (Surrender, then start your engines.)
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To: Cronos
What happened to their indigenously designed tank the Arjana? and the Light Combat Aircraft they were building (or is it the one suppoed to go in service in 2007?)

That's the *Arjun* in most military literature I've seen on the things. They built less than a hundred, not even enough to fully equip one Indian tank regiment, at the Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory outside Madras, also where about half of India's T-72M1 fleet, known there as the Ajeya was built, then rebuilt to Ajeya Mark One specifications.

The Arjun turret design put all the eggs in one basket, depending on a large slabsided Chobham composite armour turret [known as *Kanchan* armour to the Indians] and a fairly outstanding 120mm gun, a step up from the L7 105mm guns fitted to the Indian rebuilt T55s, known there as . Reportedly, the Arjun's armour offered disappointing results both to L7A1 105mm HEAT and Soviet 125mm T72 ammunition hits. The height of the rear deck also limited over-rear deck main gun depression and traverse, a fairly common limitation in older Soviet designs that the T-90 does not appear to share.

There's some question as to whether the Arjuna was to have been a primary main battle tank, or a *support tank* for use by reservist and second-line forces for protection of strategic positions and infantry support, as India's upgraded Centurions, T55s and T72s are used now. But the chassis was also to have been developed into a 155/52 calibre SP artillery piece chassis known as Bhim, and probable a ground launched missile transporter, likely nuclear-capable-. The Indians are looking at building some 4,000 guns, enough for their present 185 artillery regiments, up to an increase of around a total of 200-225. The guessing is that reworked T-72 Ajeya chassis will now be used for those projects instead, probably a more cost-effective way of doing things.

The Indians also experimented with an Arjun turret on a T-72 hull/chassis.

Arjun Mark One:

Bhim 155 SP:

Indian T-55/105:


30 posted on 01/25/2004 1:35:23 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
The turret design is a shot trap.
31 posted on 01/25/2004 1:46:16 PM PST by Junior (Some people follow their dreams. Others hunt theirs down and beat them mercilessly into submission)
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To: PAR35; swarthyguy
It is a Russian designed variant of the T-72, with a less powerful engine than the T-80. ...

"Initially seen as an entirely new design, the production model is in fact based on the T-72BM, with some added features from the T-80 series. The T-90 features a new generation of armor on its hull and turret. Two variants, the T-90S and T-90E, have been identified as possible export models." ...

They are assembled locally from Russian kits, after India originally purchased a number of pre-built models. ... .

More precisely, the Indian version appears to be derived from a T-72M1's chassis, hull and running gear, with the turret and fire control of the improved T84- not at all a bad combination, though maybe a but underpowered. But if it allows the continued use of the Indian T-72 Ajeya tanks, plus commonality of spares with 4000-5000 T-72 chassis SP artillery pieces, and the older T-55s are upgraded with new T72 powerpacks, roadwheels and tracks, it'd make a lot of sense from a logistical commonality standpoint.

In any event, the new tank is known as Bhishma to its Indian army users.

Army Unveils Bhishma Tank

Bhishma, the first indigenously assembled main battle tank of the Russian T 90S, rolled out of the heavy vehicles factory at suburban Avadi here on Wednesday. Named after the legendary warrior and father-figure in Mahabharata, known for his courage, resilience and invincibility, the battle tank Bhishma will be a great asset for the Indian Army, being highly versatile, having lethal firepower, the capability to launch surprise hit at first sight, besides remarkable self-protection measures. Unveiling the Bhishma at the HVF, Union minister of state for defence O. Rajagopal said Arjun, the country's indigenous MBT, would also be launched in a few months.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, January 08, 2004

T-90 Tanks Handed Over to Army

The most advanced battle tank T-90S 'Bhishma', having tremendous night fighting capability and missle firing facility, was rolled out from the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi about 30 km from here, today. The first tank was handed out to Chief of Army Staff Gen. N C Vij by Minister of State for Defence O Rajagopal at the HVF premises in the presence of Director General of Ordnance Factories and Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board P K Misra, Additional Director of Ordnance Factories (Armoured Vehicles) A K Lamba and HVF General Manager B S Bhatia. The biggest advantage of T-90, when compared to T-72 tank was that it had tremendous night fighting capability and could fire missile to a range of 4000 m. The T-90 had undergone all trials and had proved its capability. The highly versatile and state-of-the-art battle tanks, having the capability to attack enemy targets precisely during night time, was assembled here with parts imported from Russia and was aimed at meeting the needs of the Indian Army in the coming decades.

Courtesy: The Hindu, January 07, 2004

Bhishma, Arjun, and Krishna:


32 posted on 01/25/2004 1:56:44 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: Wisconsin; SAMWolf
When I enlarge the photo...doesn't that look like John Kerry in the helmet?

Remember that Dukakis was photographed riding in the loader's hatch, not the commander's.

India's tank commanders, like the tank captain pictured, are a whole lot better breed than either of America's selfserving politicians. Give the Indian tank crewman his choice of ruling his entire country, or just his tank company, and see which he chooses. He knows at which one he might or might not do well at, and at which one he will almost certainly perform superbly. For him, failure is not an option.

I'd soldier with those Indian tankers and their leaders anyday.


33 posted on 01/25/2004 2:04:13 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: Junior
The turret design is a shot trap.

From four kilometers away?

34 posted on 01/25/2004 2:04:57 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster; SAMWolf
For proper appreciation of tanks, enjoy this as well.

For real appreciation of it, sing it with German Leopard, Kätzchen, and Jagdpanzer90 crews at Grafenwohr, particularly when a couple of their older NCOs get up and include the banned SS-Panzer verse.

And slam beer krugs made from 90mm and 105mm main gun cases on the table for percussion accompaniment, instead of just stomping feet. Rookies sing the italicized lines.

35 posted on 01/25/2004 2:17:29 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: Tacis
Some of you may not know this, but the guy on the tank is Apu Ghandi.

His parents named him after an Auxiliary Power Unit? Why didn't they just call him Little Joe.

{inside joke for very old treadheads, and fairly recent ones]

36 posted on 01/25/2004 2:19:42 PM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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To: archy
Most engagements happen at much shorter ranges. The fighting in Baghdad was often at ranges of less than 20 meters.
37 posted on 01/25/2004 3:05:11 PM PST by Junior (Some people follow their dreams. Others hunt theirs down and beat them mercilessly into submission)
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To: archy
And Now For Something Completely Different.

An artist from Orissa performs at the inauguration of Folk Dance Festival as part of Republic Day celebrations at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on January 24, 2004. India will be celebrating its 55th Republic Day on January 26.

Pictures like this deserve a caption thread. The most acerbic and witty pearls will even pop up too.

38 posted on 01/25/2004 5:28:48 PM PST by swarthyguy
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To: FreeAtlanta
Actually, a Tank is a pretty good place to be when close to a nuke strike (Note: at Ground Zero, all warrenties are null and void). The M1 Abrams series can withstand a great ammount of radiation and has EMP protection. The Soviets lead-lined the turrets on their tanks, but didn't offer this for export. The T-90 also has better EMP shielding and NBC systems than the old T-72s.

More importantly in a RPG rich war (as one with Pakistan's Islamic radicals may entail), the T-90 can mount the Droz and Arora(I think that's the name) stand-off and close in active protection systems. These systems (being modified and improved on by France for open sale on the arms market) can,in theory, engage and destroy RPGs and ATGMs before they hit the tank.
39 posted on 01/26/2004 6:42:32 AM PST by M1Tanker (Modern "progressive" liberalism is just NAZIism without the "twisted cross")
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To: M1Tanker
Thanks for the info!
40 posted on 01/26/2004 6:49:45 AM PST by FreeAtlanta
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