Indian Counters China’s Western Ground War Build-Up With New Zorawar Light Tank

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

India has shown off its newest weapon – a light battle tank latest that went from design to prototype in roughly two and a half years.

The Zorawar’s role is to be a counterweight to China’s fleet of lightweight mountain tanks, like the Type 15, which are said to be especially effective in the high altitudes along the disputed border between the two countries.

The new Indian tank weighs just 25 tons, half the weight of the Russian-made T-90. That will make it easier to operate in tough mountain terrain where heavier tanks can’t go. The Zorawar is armed with a 105mm main gun that’s capable of firing anti-tank guided missiles. It also has modular reactive armor and an active proteoth China and Pakistan for decades. ction system for better survivability.

Other features include the ability to be integrated with drones and battle management systems.

“What is unique about this tank is the weight as well as the combination of the fundamental parameters of a tank, which is the fire, power mobility and protection,” said Rajesh Kumar, tank lab director of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Indian army has ordered 59 of the new tanks, and potentially could buy as many as 354 of them. The Zorawar is expected to go into service in 2027, following tests in both mountainous regions and the desert.

It was named after the legendary general Zorawar Singh, who led troops to vitory in Ladakh and Tibet six times between 1834 and 1841.