DRDO chief Samir Kamat said development trials, including desert and high-altitude, were expected to be completed within six months. It will then be passed to the Indian Army for more trials, with the tank expected to enter service by 2027.

Zorawar is a response to a 2020 border clash with China – the worst in four decades – that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops. Troops from the two sides have continued to face off in the disputed Himalayan border region since then and talks remain deadlocked.

The tank is named after Zorawar Singh Kahluria, a 19th century general who defeated the Qing Chinese in Ladakh – where the deadly Galwan Valley clash took place four years ago.

India had issued a request for a new light tank in April 2021 after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent its Type 15 light tanks to the front line. To counter them, the Indian Army only had heavy T-90 and T-72 main battle tanks, which are not suitable for the rugged mountainous terrain.

India and China share thousands of kilometres of undefined border – known as the Line of Actual Control – that run along some of the world’s highest mountains, with an average altitude of more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet). Both sides have sent equipment and personnel to the region and conducted live-fire drills since the 2020 clash.

Military expert Lu Jibing said heavy tanks would be affected by the altitude. “Typically, every 100 metres of ascending will see engine power drop by 1 per cent,” Lu said. “So on a 4,000-metre plateau, 40 per cent of the engine power is gone.”

But as light tanks, the Zorawar prototype and the Chinese Type 15 both have a high horsepower engine and a relatively light body, making them more nimble and better suited to the Himalayan terrain.

Lu said negotiating that terrain – bridges, small tunnels, narrow roads – was difficult for heavy tanks and other large military equipment. Light tanks could also be more easily delivered to remote areas, by road, train or air.

The Zorawar weighs 25 tonnes and has removable float modules that make it amphibious. Like the PLA’s Type 15 – which has been in service since 2018 – it is operated by a crew of three and has a 105mm main gun.

Both armoured vehicles have gun-launched missiles and machine guns, as well as remote-controlled weapon stations and auto-grenade launchers. The Zorawar’s top speed is 65km/h (40mph), while the Type 15 can reach 70km/h (43mph).

Among its features, the Type 15 has a laser warning sensor system to detect incoming anti-tank missiles and it can automatically deploy smoke grenades if the tank is being illuminated by an enemy laser beam.

The Zorawar is reported to have a similar active protection system and there are plans to install an AI system for assisted target acquisition and decision-making, as well as tactical drones and loitering munitions.

It is several years away from being ready for service but the Indian Army has 59 of the Zorawar light tanks on order and plans to eventually have a fleet of more than 350.

The Zorawar has been developed rapidly and does not appear to have had the delays seen in other such projects such as the Arjun main battle tank.

Military commentator Song Zhongping said the Arjun experience might have helped get the Zorawar to prototype stage more quickly.

“There’s lots of foreign components and technical assistance involved, which could also be helpful,” he said. “But to put together a tank in such a short time is very challenging – it takes a long time to test and prove these capabilities.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51ku6bD0miaoaGelnyutcuiq5qqqWSus8DInKOeZ2NnhHJ%2BkXFmoqaUnq5uwc2vnKKko2LHsL7AsJirZZyetKnAjK2Yp6NdorKiutNmm6KroKrBprCMoaCmmZyWxqK6jJumq5yVp3qzscaipqc%3D