Russia's principal Uralvagonzavod main battle tank (MBT) production facility in Nizhny Tagil has offered to co-operate with India on the development and production of a future main battle tank (FMBT) to meet the long-term requirements of the Indian Army.
The projected Indian/Russian FMBT would leverage from recent Russian developments, including the new Russian MBT currently under development and expected to enter service from 2010. The Russian MBT is being designed by the Ural Design Office of Transport Mechanical Engineering, which is also in Nizhny Tagil. It is understood to be armed with a 152 mm smoothbore gun in an external mount, with all the crew located in the chassis. It will be fitted with an advanced day and night fire-control system with a hunter/killer capability and a high level of survivability.
If the Indian/Russian MBT programme was to go ahead it would offer a number of advantages to both sides, including reduced development time and costs. It would also finally allow the Indian Army to field a new MBT to counter recent MBT developments in Pakistan. India has built both the older Russian T-72M1 MBTs and the T-90S MBT currently in production under licence. Both are armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader.
The projected Indian/Russian FMBT would leverage from recent Russian developments, including the new Russian MBT currently under development and expected to enter service from 2010. The Russian MBT is being designed by the Ural Design Office of Transport Mechanical Engineering, which is also in Nizhny Tagil. It is understood to be armed with a 152 mm smoothbore gun in an external mount, with all the crew located in the chassis. It will be fitted with an advanced day and night fire-control system with a hunter/killer capability and a high level of survivability.
If the Indian/Russian MBT programme was to go ahead it would offer a number of advantages to both sides, including reduced development time and costs. It would also finally allow the Indian Army to field a new MBT to counter recent MBT developments in Pakistan. India has built both the older Russian T-72M1 MBTs and the T-90S MBT currently in production under licence. Both are armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader.