NEW DELHI — Decades ago, the world had producer-states of aircraft and tanks that could be counted on the fingers of one hand. With new technologies, open markets, and the sharing [or buying] of know-how, these producers are now many times over.

Think about it – only ten years ago there was one stealth fighter. Today, in addition to the USA, Russia, China, and South Korea already have their own stealth fighters, Turkey, Pakistan, and United Europe are working on their own stealth variant. The situation with tanks is more or less similar.

Heard of the Zorawar tank? It is a light tank originally designed in India and is still a project on the drawing board. However, the latest Indian Army report cited by Idrw.org says that New Delhi is ready to order at least 354 units of it. The same source also says that there is a strong possibility that India will double the order and buy 700 units.

The reason is China. China has 500 Type-15 light tanks. Unlike India, China has already produced them and continues to produce them. Light tanks are highly suited to the border area that the two countries share. Especially in the areas of Ladakh sector, Uttarakhand, Tawang, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Light tanks are well suited to provide good firepower and performance in high-altitude areas. This is the second reason that may compel New Delhi to seek an increase in the number of Zorawar light tanks for acquisition.

The source said that the situation is so tense that New Delhi may not only accept a direct offer to buy Zorawar, but also open a second production line to increase production. It is even possible to use private sector companies, the source added.

Of course, we’ve heard of the Zorawar LT so we’re going to tell you a little more about it. This will give you an idea of what India can buy. The tank is still under development. It is New Delhi’s desire that it enter serial production in 2024. However, this remains in doubt.

The crew of the tank is three-man, which speaks of the influence of Soviet design. This most likely suggests that the filling of tank shells in the weapon system will be automatic, which is the principle of operation of Russian tanks.

A tank must weigh 25 tons to meet the requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence. It is assumed that not conventional tank fuel will power the Indian Zorawar LT, but a specially developed one. This is not some special requirement of the army but a necessity as the tank will operate at extreme altitudes. Precisely because of the heights, the tank will have a different design and will differ from the conventional tanks we know.

Most likely, India will seek an extended partnership with the tank manufacturer. The idea is to develop other combat armoured platforms based on its chassis. This will be extremely important for the whole Indian concept of cost reduction. On the other hand, money aside, it’s much easier to maintain multiple platforms built on top of one modular one.